Scrabble
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Mary Margaret and David are two best friends who desperately want a baby. One night, over a game of Scrabble, she suggests they have one together.
1. Chapter 1

You all can thank loboselinaistrash for this one, because she convinced me to write it haha. This is going to be slow burn Snowing, but I promise, they are endgame.

* * *

Mary Margaret let out a sigh as she smoothed down her blouse before ringing the doorbell. The door swung open and Ashley greeted her with a huge smile on her face, a hand resting on her baby bump.

"Mary Margaret! Hi!" She threw her arms around her, giving her a tight hug. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Of course." Mary Margaret said, allowing her friend to lead her into the house.

The living room was abuzz, most of Storybrooke was present. The present table was overflowing with gifts and it took Mary Margaret a minute to find a spot. She leaned back for a minute as she looked around the room once more. Many people had brought their own babies, it seemed there had been something in the water. Ashley was the latest of their group to get pregnant. In fact, there was only one person left who didn't have a kid of their own.

Mary Margaret.

She was 28-years-old and always pictured herself with at least one child by that point. She hadn't found Mr. Right, yet. Her friend, Regina, told her that she didn't need him to have a child. After all, she had adopted Henry as a single parent. She appreciated it, but she didn't want to do it alone. It wasn't just the idea of changing dirty diapers and doing all the late night feedings alone, it was having someone to go through all the milestones.

Mary Margaret had always been the girl to want a baby. She played with dolls from a young age and made lists of potential names in junior high. She was one of the few that actually looked forward to the robotic baby project in health class. There was only one other person she knew was that obsessed with having a family someday at that age. She smiled over at him and he matched it, lifting a beer before turning back to chatting with Thomas.

David and Mary Margaret had met when the former moved to Storybrooke with his step-father and twin brother when they were 16. He had lost both of his parents by the age of 10 and after Ruth's death, George became his guardian. David wasn't like his brother, he wasn't interested in playing sports or hanging out with the rough crowd. So, he found himself getting well acquainted with Thomas, who was dating Ashley even back then.

As it turned out, they had a lot more in common they realized. Mary Margaret had lost her mother when she was younger and was being raised by her single father, who seemed to busy to pay any attention to her. She and David hung out a lot, studying and eating greasy fast food at Granny's diner. They even both went to the same local college. Everyone always joked they should just get married, but they didn't see that. They were best friends, nothing more.

This was the third shower Mary Margaret had been to that year. She was really happy for Ashley and Thomas, she knew how badly they had wanted a child. They had to try for years and Alexandra would be their miracle baby. Even so, Mary Margaret couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

Halfway through the party, she noticed that David was standing in the corner, holding Gideon. She looked around for Belle and Kenneth Gold, but came up short. She walked over to him, smiling.

"Kidnapping babies now, are we?"

David laughed. "Kenneth forgot the present in the car and Belle had to run to the bathroom, so I offered to hold Gid here."

"He really is adorable." She let out a content sigh, stroking the baby's chubby cheek. People had been a bit hesitant when Belle started dating Gold, but they were really happy. She made an amazing step-mom to his son and now they had added to their family. It didn't hurt that the baby looked great in David's arms. "You gonna hog the baby the whole party?"

He smirked. "Here."

David slowly put the baby into Mary Margaret's arms and she moved him closer to her, so she could inhale the intoxicating scent babies always seemed to have. She didn't know what it was, almost like they were born with it. Gideon wiggled in her arms, trying to reach up for the necklace around her neck.

"Oh no, no, that's not a toy."

David looked around and picked up the rattle Belle had left behind, placing it in Gideon's hand. "There we go."

He could see the look in Mary Margaret's eye, it was the same one she got every time she held one of their friends' babies. Suddenly, they were the only person in the room. She'd just babble with them and rock them gently. Mary Margaret had always been great with kids, he could remember while most of their friends went out on the weekends, she'd be babysitting for her neighbors. It was no surprise that she became a teacher.

Belle walked back over and smiled at the sight. "Well, thank you guys for keeping him preoccupied."

Mary Margaret looked up. "Oh, no problem." She placed Gideon back in Belle's arms. "There you go, Mama's back."

And just like that, another look David knew all too well was on Mary Margaret's face. The same one she got whenever she had to give a baby back. She knew of course that the babies weren't hers, but he also knew how badly she wanted one of her own. The truth was, he was worried she'd follow in Regina's footsteps and adopt as a single parent. However, she shared that just wasn't what she wanted. At the time, she had been dating Victor Whale and thought they'd end up with a child.

That name alone made David want to punch a wall. Whale was one of the best doctors in their little town, but also a known womanizer. He had a wondering eye and a cheating heart. David had warned Mary Margaret about him, but she went after him anyway. It lead to nothing but heartbreak. He supposed he couldn't talk. After all, he was only a year out of his divorce.

Gulping, he noticed Kathryn standing on the other side of the room, her arm linked with Jim. He knew he should've been pissed about his wife's infidelity and yet, he wasn't. He was more upset of what they could've had. They hadn't talked since their last hearing, when things were all settled. At first, he thought they could remain friends, but then they got into that fight.

" _You never came to me," Kathryn accused him. "You always went to her."_

It wasn't true, or so he thought. Mary Margaret was his best friend. Was that supposed to change simply because he got married? Kathryn was his wife. He didn't push her to cheat, she made that choice on her own. Besides, Mary Margaret was there for him through it all. She made sure he was eating and brought him takeout from the diner, she rented all his favorite action flicks. He wasn't sure how he would've gotten through any of it without her.

His thoughts were interrupted by Thomas' sudden clapping. "Alright everyone," he announced. "It's time to open presents."

They all sat in a circle, ooing and ahhing over all the cute things people had purchased for the baby. He grinned when Ashley opened up Beverley Lucas' (or Granny as she insisted on being called) present, a baby blanket. She made them for all the babies in Storybrooke. This one had bright pink ribbon and the baby's name scrawled out on the side. He couldn't help but notice that every other baby there had one too. It was just a special thing they all shared.

Eventually, the party came to a close. Most people were in the apartment's parking lot, struggling to get car seats or cajoling kids to get in the car. He could see Mary Margaret unlocking her tiny Subaru, her purse slung over her shoulder. He walked over to her.

"Aesop's?" He asked.

A smile broke out across her face. "Definitely. I'll meet you there."

David hopped into his truck and followed her down to the bar. The town had two, but the Rabbit Hole was more of his brother's scene. Aesop's was quieter and one could actually have a conversation. He settled down across from Mary Margaret, their craft ale in front of them.

"So, another one bites the dust," David said, taking a sip. "I think the two of us, Ruby and Dorothy are the only ones left."

Mary Margaret shook her head as she swallowed. "Nuh uh. Ruby and Dorothy just told me, they're heading to China next week. The red tape is all cleared up, they can adopt Ming."

"Aww, that's good for them."

"It is."

"You're jealous."

She sighed. "How can you tell?"

"It was quite obvious."

"It's just…I thought I'd be there by now. I had a whole plan. Married at 25, first kid at 27." She shrugged. "Life didn't go according to plan."

"Take it from someone who did get married at 25, it doesn't mean you will get pregnant."

She frowned. "You and Kathryn never talked about it?"

"I don't think she knew what she wanted."

"Do you want to know what I heard?"

David made a face. Jim was a gym teacher at the school where Mary Margaret worked and she always had the gossip. "Do I?"

"Apparently Jim and Kathryn have been trying. At least that's what he told Jasmine."

"Great." He finished off his beer.

"I know you want a family as badly as I do."

"Not with her. I mean, we talked about it…but she just never seemed interested."

"Maybe she's getting to do it with the right person, so you can find the right one for you."

David sighed. "I sure hope so."

Mary Margaret studied her friend for a long while. He had once told her to look at him as a cautionary tale. Marriage didn't always work out. She had been against doing things as a single mom, but she wasn't getting any younger. She wasn't anywhere near the point of her eggs being no good, but she just wanted to be a mom.

Maybe it was time to look into some other methods.

* * *

Mary Margaret sat in the office of the adoption agency, tapping her foot against the floor. It had been 3 weeks since Ashley and Thomas' baby shower and she had filled out her application not long after. It was time to find out her chances, could a baby be in the cards for her?

Sidney Glass walked in and sat across from her. "So, Miss Blanchard, you have shown interest in using our agency to adopt."

She nodded. "That's right."

"And according to your information, you're single."

"Yes."

Sidney continued to look over the papers. "You're a teacher."

"4th grade, at Storybrooke Elementary."

"Right." Sidney closed her file and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry to tell you, but it doesn't look good."

Mary Margaret frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I wouldn't say your profession would have much to do with it, if you weren't going into this alone," he explained. "Many of our expecting mothers are looking for married couples."

"But it's not impossible to adopt as a single parent," she interjected. "My friend adopted through this very agency as a single mother…"

"What is her profession?"

Mary Margaret chewed on her lip. "She's…the town's mayor."

"That would be why. You do make enough to support a child, Miss Blanchard. However, since you have a friend that has been through the process, I'm sure you know it takes awhile."

She nodded. She remembered it had taken at least a year before Regina gotten the call about Henry. "Well…yes."

"I think you'd be looking at a longer wait."

Mary Margaret drew in a deep breath and let it out. Sidney wasn't telling her she wouldn't be able to get a baby, but the options seemed lower. She didn't want to wait years, she wasn't sure she could wait. She had other options, she knew she did. Before she settled down a bunch of money to be put on a long waitlist, she decided to give it some more thought.

Feeling defeated, Mary Margaret headed to the diner. She had taken the entire morning off work and the sub would cover her through the student's recess. She needed some tea and a grilled cheese to sort her nerves. Sliding into her usual booth, she gave her order to one of the waitresses and half-heartedly scrolled through her phone.

"How'd it go?"

Her head whipped up and she found Ruby standing there. David may have been her best friend since high school, but Ruby had been her first best friend, period. They had met the first day of kindergarten and been inseparable ever since. Ruby's parents had died when she was a baby, so she was being raised by her grandmother. Mary Margaret's mother passed away when they were in first grade and the two connected deeply. She was the first one Ruby came out to as bisexual and she supported her best friend. She loved Dorothy, she was perfect for her and had served as maid of honor in their wedding two years prior. It made sense that Ruby was the only person she had told about her interview.

"It's not looking good." Mary Margaret chewed on her lip. "I'd be a single parent as it is, but apparently my job didn't help."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Seriously? I would think that would give you brownie points. You're crazy enough to work with kids every day, they should give you a kid."

Mary Margaret couldn't help but laugh. Ruby knew it wasn't that easy, she and Dorothy had been trying to adopt for a long time. Even so, she was just trying to help her best friend feel better. Signaling to Granny that she was taking a break, she slid across from her friend.

"Have you thought about using a sperm donor?" Ruby suggested. "I mean, DNA doesn't matter, but you'd get to experience being pregnant."

"I'd like that. It's just…I'm not sure I want to do it alone. I mean, even adoption." She sighed. "That was too impulsive."

"There's um…there's something else I'm going to suggest. It may sound crazy, but here me out." Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow, but gestured for her friend to continue. "Well, before I met Dorothy, I was afraid I wouldn't meet anyone. So, Will, you remember him? Anyway, we made a pact. If we were still single at 40, we'd have a baby together."

"I didn't know you were attracted to him."

"I wasn't, but he was a good guy and I figured he'd be a good co-parent." She smiled. "Then he met Anastasia and I met Dorothy, so it obviously wasn't needed. But, it was still a plan."

Mary Margaret made a face and sipped her tea that the other waitress delivered. "I'm not sure I could wait until 40."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant, Mare. You could do it now, with a friend…like David."

"David?"

"6 feet tall, dirty blonde hair…"

"I know who David is. It's just…really?"

"You're both single, I know you two have wanted babies since forever." She shrugged. "Why not?"

Mary Margaret wanted to argue about how ridiculous it was, but she felt Ruby had a point. She had known David for a dozen years, they were best friends. He was the town sheriff and so great with children. She knew she could count on him to be a good co-parent. He'd adore their child no matter what.

If they used IVF, she imagined what the child would look like. Would they inherit her green eyes and his blonde locks? Or the opposite, with her dark waves and his baby blues…

Out of all of her friends, she could picture having a baby with David Nolan.

It was worth a shot….

* * *

Game night was once a fun way for the group to get together, drink wine and have fun. However, with most of them having kids or being pregnant, attendance was dwindling. Gideon had a cold, Ashley wasn't feeling so hot and Aurora was bringing the baby to visit her parents. David didn't quite understand why Ruby and Dorothy couldn't come. They gave some half-ass excuse about working, even though he knew they didn't have. Either way, it was just going to be him and Mary Margaret.

She seemed awkward from the moment he entered her loft. It was a decent size for her. She chose to sleep in the living room area, the upstairs had two guest beds set up, not that she ever had many visitors. The furniture wasn't the comfiest, but it was all she could afford when she moved out of her father's after college.

David watched as she poured out some wine and set up the first game of the night: Scrabble. They got started, her beating him as usual. Just as he was trying to figure out his next move, he could see her subtly switching out tiles. He raised an eyebrow but before he could say anything else, she grabbed a sharpie and drew a question mark on one of the blank tiles.

Without another word, Snow arranged the five tiles out on the board, far away from their game. David studied them and raised an eyebrow.

 _Baby?_

"Um…Mary Margaret?" He looked at her confused.

"I want a baby," she said, quickly. "And I want to have one with you."


	2. Chapter 2

David blinked a few times, staring at Mary Margaret. For some reason, he was brought back to the first day that they met.

It had been his second day at the new school and he was at his locker, trying to figure out how to open it. When he was just about to give up, he turned and suddenly his face collided with an elbow. His nose bled as a result and it was throbbing. Mary Margaret's eyes were wide with worry and she led him to the nurse's office, though he didn't even know her name yet. She stayed with him as the nurse cleaned it up and gave him an ice pack. She kept apologizing profusely, saying it was an accident. He couldn't help but laugh and assured her he wasn't upset. She kept asking what she could do to make up for it and finally he relented, saying they could go get some ice cream. They were best friends ever since.

There was no doubting that Mary Margaret was beautiful. In high school, she had long, thick dark curls but after college she cut her hair down to a cute pixie cut. Her makeup was always subtle, accenting her best features. She didn't really have a set style. He had seen her in it all, from sweats to a prom dress. She was intelligent, funny. Any child that she had would be unstoppable.

But why did she want one with him?

"A baby," he repeated. "You want to have a baby with me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

Mary Margaret frowned. "Why?"

"I mean, come on, it's not like we're…together."

She sighed, pushing the game away from them. "I went to look into adoption recently. It's going to be hard as a single parent and I realized, I don't want to have a child as a single parent. I know Regina has done it, but I just…I don't want to do that. And I don't want to wait."

"But why me?"

Mary Margaret smiled a bit at him. "You're the one person I know who wants a baby as much as I do. I see the way you are with children, you listen to them, you're kind. You're smart, healthy, not to mention good looking. We agree about a lot of things…"

"We're not in love."

David wasn't trying to be a jerk, he really wasn't. The truth was, he wanted to say yes to Mary Margaret. He wanted a baby and he could see himself having one with her. He knew she'd make a fabulous co-parent and he did love her. Like he said, they just weren't in love. To his surprise though, she didn't falter.

"I know, but look at it this way. So many people have kids together, that shouldn't. They hate each other, even if they're married." A small smile went across her face. "Even though we're not in love, we love each other. We're best friends. I'd say we have a lot going for us more than a lot of people having children."

He didn't know what to say to that. In a way, he knew she was right. Adjusting himself in his seat, he chewed on his lip. Having a baby with Mary Margaret, finally getting to be a dad…could he do it?

"Look, I know this is a big thing to spring on you," she continued. "You don't need to say yes or no right now. And we could do this in any way that you want. We could try adopting together or using IVF. I'm up for suggestions. I want to be a mom and I know you want to be a dad. I think we could make it work. Just…just promise me you'll think about it?"

David nodded and slowly smiled. "Yeah, I'll think about it."

He was true to his word and he did think about it. It was all he possibly could think about. He thought about it the whole way back to his apartment, as he threw his keys up on the hook and threw himself down onto his bed.

David had moved into the apartment two days after he walked in on Kathryn and Jim. She had told him not to go, said that he could stay in the guest bedroom or that he could even have the house. He didn't want to, though. They had bought the house together. It was the first thing he owned all on his own and it felt damn good. Even his truck had been a gift from George and he would've trashed it, except for the fact that he needed it.

He had a good childhood, that much was sure. Ruth and Robert Nolan weren't the richest, in fact, they owned a farm. Even so, they cherished their twin boys and taught them valuable lessons. David and James were very close, got into mischief together and overall had lots of fun. Even if they didn't have the latest gizmo or gadget, they were still happy.

Then their father was murdered when they were 5-years-old. He had been heading back after selling some of their wares and had pulled over when he saw a seemingly homeless man struggling for help on the side of the road. It was all an act, however, and the man killed his father, stealing the money he had gotten from the sale. Ruth was devastated and the boys didn't understand how she continued to get out of bed every morning.

A couple of years later is when she met George. From the start, David didn't like him. There was just something…off. Yet, he was a widower, one who couldn't have children of his own, so Ruth's heart went out to him. They had a "whirlwind romance" and soon he was helping expand the farm, turning it into something big and grand. He made renovations to the old little house, impressing James and Ruth, not so much David. He didn't understand how they were moving on.

Even so, he supported his mother. He wanted her to be happy. So when he was 8-years-old, he served as a ring bearer in the wedding. Shortly after George moved in, though, it was clear that things were different. He was strict and had high expectations for the boys. Even James, who had once adored George, now hated him. Ruth was trapped in an abusive marriage to a man she didn't love, but George manipulated her into letting him adopt the boys. The one condition was that they got to keep their father's name. Ruth was their one savior in all of it, she protected the boys and didn't want them to feel the pain she did.

However, when they were 10, she died of a heart attack. George was technically their legal guardian and ruled the farm with an iron fist. James began to rebel and David kept to himself. It started the beginning of a big strain in their relationship. Without Ruth to play peacekeeper between the two, their fighting was getting worse and worse.

When they were 16, George's company decided to move him to Maine. So, they packed and moved up North. David adjusted quite well to the new town, while James struggled. His new crowd of friends wasn't the best, neither was his girlfriend, Jack. Upon graduation, David made a choice, he wanted nothing to do with George anymore. James, though hating their step-father, was attracted to the fancy things he offered and stayed under his clutches. The two boys went to separate colleges and barely spoke after that. It was one of David's biggest regrets, especially when he got the call that his brother had died in a gang fight alongside Jack.

Mary Margaret had been the one to comfort him through it. He was engaged to Kathryn at the time, but she didn't know quite what to say. She just kept bringing up that they were estranged. Mary Margaret understood though, she had known how complicated the relationship between the brothers were. She held David's hand through the funeral, helped him ignore George. Kathryn didn't even come to the wake and was late to the funeral. She had excuses and in the end, he married her anyway. Looking back, he knew he should've called off the engagement. They weren't in love.

Yet, at the time he had just lost one of the last people that meant a thing to him. He couldn't lose Kathryn. He latched onto her and placed every dream, every hope.

That was what had hurt the most when the affair was uncovered. Not the fact that he was losing Kathryn, but the fact that he was losing his dreams. He always imagined they'd start a family some day, that he could be a father. All of that went up in smoke when he walked into the master bedroom and found Jim's naked butt staring back at him.

Mary Margaret was giving him a second chance, one to be a father. He knew that if he and Kathryn had children together, their co-parenting situation would be a mess. They could barely do anything but glare at each other when they passed each other on the streets or at similar functions. It wouldn't be the same with her.

But could he really have a child with someone that he wasn't with?

Letting out a deep breath, David shut his eyes. It had been a long day and he had a lot to do in the morning. Thoughts of his past and family would have to wait for the sunrise.

* * *

"So, I'm thinking two officers will cover it," Kenneth Gold explained to his friend over coffee the following morning. "I hate doing these events as is, but Belle is instant that art nights are profitable, so oh well." He noticed that David was staring off into space. "Are you listening to me?"

David snapped out of it and looked over at Gold. "Um, you were saying something about art?"

Gold let out an irritated sigh. "The art exhibit I'm holding, for the collection of old paintings that were submitted, you offered to have some of your officers act as security."

"Right, right." He rubbed his temples. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Game night overstimulate you?" Gold asked with a smirk. "I know you're a farmer's son, but you have to be sharp to keep up with Mary Margaret."

David couldn't help but laugh. His friendship with Gold, was quite the unlikely one. He had never really known the pawn shop owner/landlord when he first moved to town. As he was also an attorney, there were times that we would swing by George's to go over some contracts, but David tried not to be home at all, much less during one of George's business deals. However, he had developed a good friendship with Belle during high school. When she began dating Gold a few years after graduating college, many were skeptical, David included. The man was 15 years older than her, with a son of his own, surely he had to be sketchy. It didn't help that he had a reputation as a harsh landlord.

Then one day, before he became sheriff, David got a call at the station regarding a custodial kidnapping. It seemed that Gold's ex-wife, Milah, didn't have custody of their son and had picked him up from pre-school. David was able to track her down and reunite father and son. The look in Gold's eyes, was one he hadn't seen in years, not since his own mother's passing. It was one of pure love and devotion of a child. He could not stop thanking David for finding his boy.

In the end, the two met up for drinks and realized they had a lot in common. Both had been raised on farms, like George, Gold's father had been abusive. Yet, both had been able to make something of themselves. David was able to show his friends that he was worthy of Belle and even served as best man in their wedding, being godfather to little Gideon.

"Well you would know a lot about that, after all, can't you only read picture books?" David fired back. "How does that go over with your librarian wife."

"Glad to see even when distracted you have your wits about you." Gold sipped his coffee. "What's going on?"

He sighed. "Can you keep a secret?"

"I'm hardly the town gossip."

"Right. It's just…Mary Margaret asked me if I would have a baby with her."

Gold raised an eyebrow. "You mean…she propositioned you?"

"Not like that." David rolled his eyes. "She doesn't care how we do it, adoption, IVF. She just wants to have a child…with me."

"With you?"

"That's what she said."

"And what did you say?"

"That I had to think about it. I mean…I love Mary Margaret. She's my best friend. I know how badly she wants to be a mother, I want to be a father just as badly…."

"Then what's the issue?"

David gave him a look. "Seriously? You're asking what the issue about me having a baby with someone I'm not even involved with is?"

Gold shrugged. "At least you two love each other on some level, that's more than most co-parents have going for them."

David frowned. He knew Gold's co-parenting situation with Milah was messy. She hadn't seen Baelfire since the kidnapping. The courts hadn't given her any jail time, but she seemingly gave up on having a relationship with her son. He had Belle, which was good, but it was still a touchy subject.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Maybe this isn't the best conversation for us to have."

"Oh please, I am not that sensitive on the subject, I was being serious. Look, Milah was a terrible person. She wasn't a good mother or much of a wife, but look at Mary Margaret. She loves children, she's annoyingly kind," Gold rolled his eyes at that. "She'd be a good mother. I don't think it'd be all that ridiculous for you two to have a child together."

"But what if…what if something goes wrong?" David asked, thinking of the worst. "We've been best friends for 12 years, there's no doubting that. But, what if we get into an argument? What if we start hating each other or something? Then we've dragged a child into this horrible situation."

"Or, what if you two are extremely happy and the child is lucky to have two parents that love them," Gold pointed out. "What if this is even the best for the two of you, you could even fall in love."

"That definitely won't happen."

"Right." He rolled his eyes once more. "I'm just saying…don't rule it out. If I'm being honest, I never saw you and Kathryn having kids. However, you and Mary Margaret…I can see it." He shuffled some papers and cleared his throat, a sign he was ready to move on with the conversation. "Now, about the security guards…"

* * *

Mary Margaret pulled up in front of her childhood home, taking it all in. There were times it still seemed strange that she grew up there. It hadn't really felt like a home after her mother died. Her father had the place redecorated not long after, changing the bright, colorful furniture, to darker and colder touches. He claimed people were meant to renovate every so often and that it would've happened anyway. She wasn't so sure about that.

Leopold had tried as a single father, no one could argue that. He allowed Mary Margaret to mourn as much as she needed to after her mother's passing. He respected her wishes about not celebrating her birthday anymore, as Eva had died on that day. He bought her presents and made sure she never went without.

But he wasn't there, not really.

He had to travel often for work, but even when he was home, there was a wall between them. Mary Margaret tried desperately to break it down, but it was no use. They were more like roommates at times, rather than father and daughter. He didn't understand that she needed more love and warmth.

Leopold didn't quite understand why she chose to move out of the mansion and into her tiny loft after college. He didn't understand that as small as it was, she could decorate it how she wished. It was bright, warm and inviting. She even had some pieces that her mother had selected all those years ago, that had been tucked into storage after her passing. It felt more like home than the mansion did after she was 7-years-old.

Despite the distance, Mary Margaret did still speak with her father. They had a short phone call every other Sunday and occasionally he'd invite her over for dinner. This visit wasn't planned, however. She knew her father wouldn't be home, during their last chat that very week he had told her he'd be in Spain. Even so, she wanted to walk through the mansion.

Using her key to go inside, Mary Margaret saw the one thing that made the mansion feel like a sliver of what it once was. The only picture of Eva that Leopold allowed to be left out after her passing. It was one of her holding Mary Margaret when she was a baby, smiling down at her with all the love in the world, as if she were the only person in the room. Mary Margaret hadn't felt loved like that in a long time, she missed it. She craved it.

She wanted to give that love to a child.

Heading on up to her childhood bedroom, she found the one place of light that seemed to come from the entire place. Leopold didn't step foot in it after Eva's passing, but would allow Mary Margaret to redecorate as she saw fit. Settling down onto the fluffy white comforter, she picked up the teddy bear she had left behind, picking some fuzz out of it's fur. Her mother had made the bear for her before her passing and Mary Margaret always pictured passing it down to a child of her own.

She wondered if she was acting crazy. She wasn't even 30 yet and she was so worried about having a baby. What if asking David ruined her friendship with him forever? She couldn't imagine her life without him in it and didn't want to. She hoped he knew that deep down, she wouldn't judge him for his choice. If he said no, that would be it. She would wait for Mr. Right.

Tucking the bear into her purse, she inhaled her pillow case. It had once smelled like Eva, a mixture of her perfume and fabric softener. However, after awhile, it just started smelling like Mary Margaret. She had yet been able to recreate the smell.

Forcing herself up, Mary Margaret walked back out of the house and got into her car. She drove back to the loft and was surprised to find David standing outside of it. She walked over to him, pushing her hands into her sweatshirt pocket.

"Hey, what's going on?" She asked. It had been nearly a week since she brought up having a baby and while they had texted at most, she had yet to see him face to face.

David shrugged. "I was waiting for you to come back. School let out awhile ago."

"I stopped by my dad's to get something." She sighed. "David, I need you to know, no matter what choice you make, I won't be mad at you. Maybe I was silly for bringing it up…"

"You weren't," David interrupted. "Look, you were right. There are people that have kids together that can barely stand each other. We may not be in love, but we do love each other and I think we have a lot more going for us than them."

A small smile played on her lips. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…I want to have a baby with you, Mary Margaret. I don't exactly know how yet…but I know I want to be the father of your baby."

The small smile was replaced with a full on grin. Dropping her purse to the sidewalk, Mary Margaret attacked him with a hug. He would've fallen over had he not been able to steady them both out, laughing as he did. Hopefully their baby would have better coordination than they did.

* * *

Thank you guys for all the support you've sent this story! Please let me know what you think and what you want to see. =) I'm not sure how long this story will be, I have the ending planned out and teared up while planning it, but it probably won't be for awhile. Until next time friends. =)


	3. Chapter 3

Mary Margaret and David agreed to keep it a secret between the two of them. Well, Gold knew, but as he pointed out he wasn't going to tell anyone. Ruby knew that Mary Margaret had considered her idea, not that they were going through with it. They wanted to wait, just in case something went wrong. The last thing they needed was pressure over the whole situation.

The conversation over how to have the baby turned out to be a short one. As much as they both loved and respected the adoption process, it was too complicated. Even going in it together, they knew not many prospective birth mothers were going to find their situation acceptable. Plus, it would still take a few years and they weren't willing to wait. Surrogacy was not only pricey, but not something Mary Margaret was interested in looking into. She wanted to be the one to carry the baby. Both knew it was time to see a specialist on the subject.

The following week, they went to the doctor to have some tests run and found themselves sitting in front of his desk. Dr. John Seward was one of the most regarded doctors in Maine. He had helped many couples get pregnant and was more than willing to assist Mary Margaret and David.

"Well, I am pleased to tell you that you're both in perfect health," Seward said as he settled across from them. "Mary Margaret, there is no reason as to why you wouldn't be able to get pregnant. And David, your sperm would have no trouble fertilizing an egg."

Mary Margaret beamed. She hadn't had many doubts on the subject, they were both young and healthy, but there was still that lingering thought. "That's great. So, what's the next step? IVF?"

"IVF is actually more geared towards people who are having trouble conceiving," Seward explained. "What I am going to recommend for the two of you, since you're not romantically involved, is intrauterine insemination. You've probably heard it referred to as artificial insemination." They nodded. "What we'll do is have David give us some sperm and then we will insert it into your uterus."

"And how is this different than IVF?" David asked, scratching the back of his neck. "In human terms, please."

Seward chuckled. "With invitro, the egg and sperm are fertilized by the doctor, then they're implanted back into the uterus, with the hope that one or more will take. With this process, it'll be up to Mary Margaret's eggs to fertilize the sperm on her own. It'd basically be as though you two had unprotected sex."

Mary Margaret nodded, shifting a bit in her seat. "A little pressure there, doc."

"I'm going to be honest with you, this procedure will probably not work on your first shot," he explained. "There's about a 20% success rate per cycle."

David's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yes. This is why we wait to do the procedure until we are sure the woman is ovulating. Even then, though, there are risks."

Mary Margaret and David exchanged a look. They had always seemed to be able to communicate without saying many words, it was just a talent they uncovered. The truth was, Mary Margaret had some money left to her by Eva. It wasn't a grand sum, Leopold was the one with all them money, but it was a good chunk. She had set it aside for an emergency. David had agreed to split costs with her and her insurance would partially cover some of it. The procedure seemed to be around $750 a pop. They had more than enough to keep trying for awhile, but she did want to be able to save that money for when the baby came, in case any unnecessary expenses popped up.

She came up with a backup plan, pushing it to the back of her head. It was September. If by February she wasn't pregnant, she'd take a leap and suggest they just try the old fashioned way. It could be awkward, it could drive David away from the plan all together, but she wanted a baby.

Besides, she thought to herself, that was months of trying. Surely, one of the cycles would take before then.

"That sounds good," Mary Margaret and David replied in near synch after a few minutes.

Seward nodded with a smile. "Very well. From what you told me, your period is pretty consistent. Your ovulation should start next Monday. David, I'll need you to come in and give a sample before then. Mary Margaret, I know you're a teacher, will you be able to come in for an appointment that day?"

She quickly nodded. "Of course. I can take a half day off."

The two made an appointment with the secretary and headed out to their cars. David let out a deep breath.

"This is all more involved than I thought it would be."

Mary Margaret's heart skipped a beat. "Are you having second thoughts."

"No, no!" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Of course not. I just…I don't know what I was expecting."

"I know, it's weird and formal. I never pictured I'd be having a baby in this way." She smiled a little. "But it'll be worth it."

David smiled in return. "It definitely will. This time next year, we'll have a baby of our own."

"We will." She gave him a quick hug. "So, you'll go before Monday to deposit your sample?" She smirked, which just made him laugh.

"Yes, I'll make sure to get my best boys on the job."

* * *

David had been joking when he told that to Mary Margaret, but as he sat in the room that Friday, expected to jack off into a cup…it was harder than expected.

He wasn't sure if it was the pressure…or the weird room…or the gruff hands of Nurse Ratchet as she thrust the cup into his hands…but he wasn't exactly feeling in the mood.

There were some dirty magazines, but that had never really been his thing. The women were beautiful, but too airbrushed for his taste. He preferred the real thing. Not that he had actually had sex since Kathryn…

 _Oh come on, Kathryn isn't going to help you…_

David let out a deep breath and shifted his mind elsewhere. Suddenly, he started thinking about that previous summer. Since they were the only four childfree at the time, Ruby, Dorothy, Mary Margaret and David had all gone to Dorothy's beach house in Rhode Island. Ruby had convinced Mary Margaret to wear a bikini. It was pink with little white seashells over it.

It wasn't skimpy by any means, but Mary Margaret had filled it out quite nicely. The minute she had removed her towel, he felt different about her. In that moment, it was as if she was the only person on that beach. The way she just lounged there on the chaise, her sunglasses on, rubbing suntan lotion all over her body…He had suddenly challenged Dorothy to a volleyball competition to keep his mind off of her. Mary Margaret was his best friend! He couldn't think about her that way!

It was different in that moment, he had to think of her that way. He thought of how beautiful she had looked that day, how beautiful she looked every day. She could wear a paper sack and be drop dead gorgeous. He hated every time she tore herself down on her looks, because she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Before he realized it, he had fulfilled his duty. Staring down at the cup, he wondered if he had an attraction for Mary Margaret. She was kind, funny, sweet, not to mention hot to boot…

 _No, you needed to get a sample. You got it. She helped you. That's all there is to it._

He couldn't fall for her, it wasn't an option. They were doing it just as friends, she had made that quite clear.

After giving Nurse Ratchet his sample, he texted Mary Margaret.

 _All set to go for Monday._

* * *

It really wasn't how she expected getting pregnant, not by a long shot. She always thought she'd be tangled up in nice, comfortable sheets. The man would be leaning against her and she'd feel as though she was on Cloud 9. There'd be some cheesy romantic song playing on the radio and they'd discuss baby names for hours.

Instead, she laid back on a cot, her feet in stirrups. She was wearing an itchy hospital gown, her southern region exposed for all to see. Well, not all, just whoever walked in the room. Next to the cot was a mixture of different medical tools and David's sample. They all looked uncomfortable and sharp.

 _It's all for motherhood. You're doing this for motherhood._

Dr. Steward walked in, pulling on gloves. "Are we ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Mary Margaret let out a deep breath.

"Then let's get started."

The process was less involved than she thought, almost like a less invasive gynecological visit. When the doctor was done, he pulled off his gloves and Mary Margaret slowly sat up.

"Is there anything I can do to make sure it works?"

Dr. Steward smiled. "This is all in nature's hands now. There's nothing definitive you can do. I know you don't smoke, but I'd suggest not drinking or doing anything too strenuous. Work is fine, but no bungee jumping or something."

She lightly laughed. "I'm not exactly that type, anyway."

Having the rest of the day off, Mary Margaret didn't know what to do with herself. Ashley and Ruby were busy with their babies. David and Belle would both be at work. She somehow found herself, driving over to the Mills mansion. Henry and Regina were up front, playing in the dirt. Mary Margaret smiled warmly as she walked over to them.

Regina Mills was the daughter of one of the most prominent members in Storybrooke. Everyone knew about Cora Mills' rags to riches story. Unfortunately, not everyone knew that she wasn't the kindest to her child. Regina had a leg up due to her mother and had done quite well for herself, but outside that, kept a large distance between her and her mother. Regina was a little older than Mary Margaret, but their parents ran in similar circles, so they had grown up knowing each other. They didn't become friends until the younger one was out of college and helped Regina run for mayor. They were so different, yet alike at the same time.

Henry grinned when he saw Mary Margaret. "Hi!" He exclaimed excitedly. "We're making mud pies."

Henry Daniel Mills was the light of Regina's life. Named for her late father and the boyfriend that died in the war, he had big green eyes and a mess of brown hair. He was getting bigger by the second, now 4-years-old. He definitely gave Regina a run for her money, but it was clear she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Well, they look very cool," Mary Margaret said, settling down in the one part of the yard that wasn't a mess.

"Mommy is playing um…a hook?" Henry looked over at his mother for confirmation.

Regina chuckled softly. "Hooky, sweetheart, hooky."

"Ohhh…"

She looked over at her friend and could see something was up. "Hey, Henry. Why don't you go wash up and play with your Legos inside?"

"But…"

"You can watch Paw Patrol."

That had his attention. He was off like a shot into the house, listening to his mother's instructions to leave his muddy sneakers on the porch. Regina raised an eyebrow, looking back over at Mary Margaret once he was safely inside.

"What's up?" She asked.

Mary Margaret tried to play stupid. "What?"

"Mary Margaret, I've known you since you were 10 years old, I know when something's up. Now, spill it."

She sighed. David had told Gold, she supposed she could allow herself one confidant in the situation. "I just got back from the doctor…"

"Are you okay? What's wrong? Are you sick? We can get a second opinion….

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. "You're the worst pseudo sister ever, you know that?"

"Forgive me for caring," Regina scoffed.

She smiled a bit at that. "I do appreciate it, really. But I'm not sick, quite the opposite actually. I just um, had an IUI round."

Regina was quiet for a moment. "You're trying to have a baby?"

"I am."

"By yourself?"

"No…with David."

That changed the worry to confused. "The sheriff?"

"Yeah."

"But…why?"

"You tried IUI before you did adoption."

"Yeah, by myself, with an anonymous donor." Regina shook her head. "I'm just confused. I can get trying this on your own, that's not the weird part. But David? You two aren't even together."

"I'm aware. However, we both want a family more than anything. I'm getting to the point where I don't care about finding a husband, I just want a child. I still want a co-parent, he feels the same way. It just makes sense."

Regina continued to stare at her. It wasn't like her to be quiet, Mary Margaret also knew her way too well. She wanted to say something.

"Go on with it," she said. "Say what you want to."

Regina sighed. "Look, I think you being a mother is great. You're annoyingly kind with every kid you come into contact with, Henry included. You've got the whole rainbow and unicorn sticker thing going for you…any child would be lucky to be yours."

"But…"

"But I think you need to be careful having a child with a man you're not involved with," she completed. "I know you think I think David is an idiot…"

"Because you do."

"Well, you know, he's not the brightest of the bunch." Regina rolled her eyes. "But that's besides the point. I do think no matter what, he'd be a good dad, he really would. Even so, you're not together."

"So, you keep pointing out. He's my best friend."

"Exactly. Friends. Friendships are great, but what if something happens? What if one of you catches feelings or you get into a huge fight? What then?"

She shook her head. "David and I have argued in the past, but nothing that would make us stop being friends. Nothing could ever stop us from being that way. You know him, you know how loyal he is."

"True." Regina bit her lip. "I just don't wan to see you getting hurt. This whole thing…it's very complicated. I don't want you walking in blindly."

Mary Margaret smiled a bit. Most would call Regina abrasive, not caring. They thought of her like her mother. While Regina did have bits of Cora (just as every child had aspects of their parents they wished they didn't), she was caring and protective of those she loved. She liked David, but she loved Mary Margaret. She felt like her unofficial older sister of sorts. She had watched her get her heartbroken by Whale, she wasn't going to let the same happen with David.

"I appreciate it, I do. The truth is, of course I'm nervous about all of this. There is a chance this could all go belly up and ruin our friendship. But…" She trailed off and the smile appeared on her face again. "What if it doesn't? What if we're both happier than we ever have been? What if all our dreams come true?"

Regina sighed once more. "There you go with that same optimistic hope you had when I was trying to adopt."

She giggled. "I was right then."

"And I hope you are now, I really do. I want you to be happy, Mary Margaret. Know that."

"I do." She squeezed her friend's hand. "Thank you."

"Anytime. If he hurts you, can I kill him?"

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. "Yes, sure. I give you full permission. Only because he won't. Plus, as I've said, we're not even together."

"Right. For now."

"We're just…"

"Friends. Yeah. Okay. I so believe you."

Before Mary Margaret could argue further, Henry appeared in the doorway, reporting that the T.V wasn't working. Regina pushed herself up and headed inside, leaving her with her thoughts.

She and David were just friends. Nothing more.

She had to repeat that to herself enough in order to believe it.

* * *

Halloween in Storybrooke was a lather large affair, decorations everywhere. There was even a giant jack-o-lantern carved in the square. Nearly every house in Storybrooke gave out candy and those who didn't, were at some party or another. David was always on duty, ready to check candy if any parent wanted him to. When he got off his shift, he decided to swing by Mary Margaret's and see if she had anything leftover. She always gave out the best treats.

However, when he was arrived, he was surprised to the lights shut off. Scanning the apartment sheet's list, he realized that she had crossed her name off the tenant's list giving out candy. Mary Margaret went all out for every single holiday. How could she be turning down one of her favorites?

Heading up to the loft, he used his key to get inside. The entire loft was pitch dark, no sign of Mary Margaret at all. Then he noticed the door on the second floor that lead up to the roof open. Quickly going up the stairs, he got out there and found her sitting there, holding a bottle of wine. There were no glasses, she was just drinking straight from it. Peanut butter cup wrappers were scattered about nearby her.

David didn't even have to ask. She had been avoiding alcohol every day for that past month. They were due to test for pregnancy the next day. He sat down beside her without a word.

"You know after I broke up with Victor," she whispered after a few minutes of them sitting there in silence. "I was late. It was the scariest few days of my life. I didn't want a baby then." She bit her lip. "Then the one time I want it, the one time I try…my period is fucking three day's early."

"Oh Mary Margaret," he whispered. He knew the pain she was feeling, he felt it too. He wanted a baby, just as much as she did. "I am so sorry."

A tear fell down her face, followed by another. Soon, she was full out sobbing. David gently pried the bottle out of her hands and set it down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She sobbed into his shoulder, clinging tightly to his flannel shirt. He felt the tears fall down his face. He knew there was a chance it couldn't happen, but he still got his hopes up.

Maybe October really wasn't meant to be their month.

* * *

As always, tell me what you think and what you want to see. Until next time, friends. =)


	4. Chapter 4

Warning: Slight mention of previous child abuse in this chapter.

* * *

As it turned out, November wasn't their month, nor was December. Mary Margaret didn't have another roof top wine drinking session, but it was still a sing nonetheless when she'd feel the tell tale cramps, only to follow with her period. She could tell David was getting upset too. It bothered her, she had started all of it and now both of their hopes were tied up in a child.

Christmas had passed and the New Year was quickly approaching. Every year, Leopold Blanchard threw a huge New Year's Eve party for his clients and colleagues. The only person Mary Margaret ever knew there was Regina and she typically dragged David along with her. It started the first New Years after he moved to Storybrooke. He showed up in a suit he borrowed from George and they snuck some vodka, hiding out on a balcony as they listened to the adults inside count down. That year was going to be no different, even if they had found out that she still wasn't pregnant. Leopold wouldn't let her live it down if she skipped it.

David pulled up to the loft promptly at 8, getting out of the car. Before he could even head for the door, it opened and Mary Margaret stepped out. It wasn't often she got so dressed up, he was used to seeing her in button up blouses or cotton shirts. That evening she was wearing a gold cocktail dress that fell at her knees. It was accented by a few hints of silver jewelry.

"You always clean up nice," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you, so do you." She fixed his tie. "At least these suits fit you, no more of George's hand me downs." He really did look dashing, it was all black barring the tie, which was silver. "We almost match."

"Cue the people thinking we're dating again." He paused. "Your father doesn't know, does he? About the baby?"

"No. Definitely not. I don't even know how I'll tell him when it happens." She let out a quick deep breath. "So don't want to think about that right now. Are you going to tell George?"

"And why would I?"

"Right, point. We better go. You know how Dad feels about me being late."

Getting into David's truck, they headed for the Blanchard mansion. Parking to where they could escape as soon as the ball dropped, they walked into the house. Guests were already floating around, waiters in their finest clothes walking around with trays of appetizers. Mary Margaret scanned the room and soon found her father.

There was no doubting that Leopold Blanchard had once been a handsome man. Even then, there was still an appeal to him. He dressed in only the finest suits (Mary Margaret hadn't seen him in anything but since Eva's death), spoke carefully, though clearly. He could charm the pants off of anyone, well anyone who didn't know him well.

"Let's just get this over with." Mary Margaret let out a deep breath and walked over to her father and plastered on a fake smile. "Daddy."

Leopold grinned, the one that never quite met his eyes. No, that smile was also something that disappeared with Eva. "Mary Margaret, sweetheart." He kissed her cheek, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You look lovely."

"Thank you."

He glanced over her to David and his smile faltered a bit, though he quickly caught himself. "David, still being a good sport and letting Mary Margaret drag you to these events, I see."

"She doesn't have to drag me sir," David said, shaking his hand. "Always a pleasure to escort your daughter."

"Of course, she's quite lovely. Mary Margaret, speaking of escorts, whatever happened to that doctor you were dating?"

Mary Margaret's smile stiffened and she could feel David doing all he could to not punch Leopold in the face. Her breakup with Victor had been so long ago and he insisted on bringing it up constantly.

"We broke up, Daddy," she reminded him, being patient as ever. "Remember?"

"Right, right. He was just what every father pictures for his little girl."

"And here I thought a father would wish for someone faithful," David mumbled under her breath, though not enough for Leopold to miss. He raised an eyebrow, then a fake smile appeared on his face.

"Well, David, be sure to say hello to George. He's around here somewhere." He spotted a client. "I must go, we'll chat later." He walked off, leaving the pair alone.

As a waiter walked by, David grabbed a beer off the tray and started sipping it. Of course George was there, it had been too long since he had seen him. He never could manage to quite get rid of him for good.

"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret said. "I had no clue he was coming, I thought he was in Boston."

"So did I, but you know good ol' George, full of surprises." David rolled his eyes. "It's fine, it'll all be fine. I'm a big boy, I can handle him."

Mary Margaret rubbed his back. "I know you can, but I'm here too."

He smiled down at her. "Thanks," he kissed her cheek. "I'm going to try to find some food that I can actually pronounce. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'll be fine, thanks."

She watched him walk off and started looking around for the champagne. On her search, she came across Regina. Her appearance at the party hadn't been promised since Henry was born, but it was always a relief to see her. Much to her surprise, however, it seemed that Regina was on the arm of a rather tall blonde. She was wearing a gray pantsuit, her blonde hair curled. Doing a double take, Mary Margaret realized it was Mallory Page, the owner of the town's newspaper.

Regina had a new girlfriend?

She hadn't mentioned anything to their circle, but it made sense why she'd choose to go public with Mal at a party such as Leopold's for that very reason. She only talked with most of the people there out of obligation.

Once Mal had gone to talk with someone, Regina made her way over. She looked stunning as usual in her navy blue dress, her hair recently cut short, allowing it to show off her natural curl.

"So, you and Mallory Page," Mary Margaret smirked.

"You don't tell any of our friends, I keep my mouth shut about the baby making," Regina warned.

"Relax, I can keep a secret. How long has this been going on?"

"For about a month."

"Is it serious?"

"Please, Mary Margaret, this isn't high school." She paused for a moment. "But yes, it is."

Mary Margaret grinned. "I'm happy for you, you really deserve this." She squeezed her arm. "Does Henry know about her?"

"Not yet, but he will in time. Maleficent's daughter knows about me, but she's a little older. You know, the whole thing has gotten me thinking…have you and David talked about that?"

"About you dating?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "No, you two dating again. I mean, I know you're both so focused on getting pregnant but things will be different when the baby is here. I mean, how will custody work and all of that?"

Mary Margaret's mouth opened, then closed again. The truth was, she had been thinking so much about actually getting pregnant, her mind hadn't gone there. How was custody going to work? Would he stay with her to help with the baby waking up through the night? Would she go to his apartment?

Then there was the whole dating thing. After Whale, she had barely dated. A blind set up here or there, but nothing serious. She wasn't a nun, though. In time, she could meet someone new. Or David could. He could fall in love again, then a new person would be in their child's life.

In their life.

She didn't know how she felt about that. In her mind, they would've both just been focusing on their child. That wasn't realistic though, parents had to have a life outside of them.

"Talk to him," Regina said, softly. "I know it's an awkward conversation and judging from the glass of champagne in your hand, you're not pregnant yet. These are things you need to smooth out before it happens."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Thanks." She gnawed on her lip. "How many rounds of IUI did you do before you decided to adopt?"

"Twice. After that, I just knew it wasn't worth it."

"You didn't run any tests? See if there was anything wrong…"

Regina shrugged. "Maybe there is. Maybe I can't biologically carry a baby, it doesn't matter. But Mary Margaret, you had all those tests, remember? You're perfectly fine to get pregnant and you will."

Mary Margaret faintly smiled. "Thanks. I just really want this."

"I know you do and it'll happen."

* * *

David stared at the food on his plate, glad he grabbed a burger at Granny's before he arrived. He had never been one for fancy food. George had tried to force it on him in his teens, but it just wasn't his thing. He put a shrimp puff in his mouth, one of the few things he could stomach.

"Hello David."

The voice alone was one he would know anywhere. He could still hear it being shouted at him as a child, just as he could feel George's hand collide with his cheek.

 _You're a grown man, surrounded by a bunch of people. He can't hurt you._

Well, that was a lie. George Spencer could kill him on the spot and everyone in the room would come up with a cover story for him. Regina and Mary Margaret, try as they might, would not be enough. So, he took another swig of beer and turned around to face his step-father.

"George," he said curtly.

"You clean up well," George smirked. "Finally with that schoolteacher?"

"I'd hate to remind you that the "schoolteacher's" father is half the reason you can conduct your business," David said, finding himself fiercely protective of Mary Margaret.

George rolled his eyes. "It's a simple question, David."

"We're not dating. I come with her every year, you know this."

"There's a lot I don't know about you." There was an evil twinkle in his eye. "After all, you never allowed me to get acquainted with you."

It was true to an extent. When Ruth began dating George, David hadn't taken it well. He hid in his room whenever he'd come to dinner. He'd refuse to meet his eye when they spoke. He didn't want to give him a chance, but he had merely been a child, one who had lost his father. At the wedding, he promised his mother to put his best foot forward and try. The minute they returned from the honeymoon, George turned downright evil.

"How are things?" David asked, wanting to move along with the conversation. "Do you have a coven, I mean place in Boston?"

"Yes, but I still have business to conduct in Storybrooke. I hear you're the sheriff. Can't imagine how with that mouth of yours."

"I get by." David adjusted the hold on his beer.

"And how is Kathryn?"

David's jaw tightened. Had George really not heard? "I think you know?"

"Know what? That you, a mere former farmer's son somehow ended up with the likes of lawyer. Only to have her cheat on you and crush your heart?" George laughed. "Why no, David, I don't know of any of that."

"Alright, we did our dance, I'm done here now."

David started walking away, but George continued to run his mouth.

"To think of what your mother would think if she could see you now. She had such hopes for you and your brother. Well, at least you weren't stupid enough to be murdered in a gang fight."

His fist clenched tightly around the beer bottle and soon, it broke in his hands. The glass sunk into his skin as the liquid sunk to the floor. He didn't even glorify George's words with a response, instead he allowed one of the waiters to lead him off to get patched up. George could think he had won, but by dragging both his mother and brother into their fight, there was no way he could.

* * *

Mary Margaret stood out on the balcony a little before midnight, staring out into the night. It was freezing and she was regretting not bringing a shrug or something of the sort, but she had to get out of there. If she had to explain one more time that yes, being a teacher was really what she wanted to with her life, she was going to scream.

"You're going to catch death like that," David's voice carried from behind her. He walked closer and draped his jacket around her.

She hugged it closer to her and looked up at him. "And you won't?"

"I'm fine," he waved her off and handed over a glass of champagne, causing her to see the bandage on his hand.

"How's it feel?"

"Not too bad, Johana gave me some painkillers, she said they're foreign." He raised his eyebrow. "Whatever that means."

Mary Margaret laughed. "She's a character for sure." She chewed on her lip. "We need to talk about something."

"Can't we do it inside?"

"I don't want people to overhear. It's just…the baby."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"What's going to happen if you start dating again?" She blurted out. "And where is it going to live? Are we…are we going to live together? And if we don't, how is custody going to work?"

David absorbed her sudden questioning, taking it all in. The truth was, he hadn't considered any of that. He had just thought of the type of parents they'd be, the challenges that would come with parenting as it was.

The truth was, though, their situation was unique. They weren't dating and they didn't live together.

And one day, Mary Margaret could find herself a husband.

The truth was, David wasn't sure if he had interest in dating. He hadn't been with anyone since Kathryn and didn't have his eyes on anyone. He didn't see that changing. To him, marriage was a lasting commitment. The weird thing was, he could never picture him and Kathryn growing old together. Even so, to him, marriage was supposed to be until death did them part. He thought it was just his desire to not thinking about growing old, period.

After her, he came to a realization. He had loved Kathryn, he really did. But he wasn't in love with her, he wasn't sure that he had ever been in love or if he ever would. He wanted a baby, a child, a family. But a wife? It'd take a special kind of person to fill that role.

Clearly, Mary Margaret was already considering her own dating life and he couldn't blame her. He wondered if he'd be able to handle seeing her dating someone. He had never been the biggest fan of any of her boyfriends, but at the same time, most of them hadn't been the best. After they had their baby, whoever she dated, would be apart of their child's life. It'd be unfair of either of them to suggest dating be off the table until the baby was 18. He didn't even want that, he wanted Mary Margaret to be happy.

"I think we should just agree if either of us meets someone, we'll talk about it," David said. "We'll let the other meet them before the baby does. And I think we should listen if the other has reasonable objections. I mean, like, legitimate ones, not just we don't want some random person in front of them."

Mary Margaret nodded. He had ran into his own step-father from hell at the party and clearly never wanted that for his own child. She didn't either. "That seems fair." She twisted the silver bangle on her wrist. "And the custody thing?"

David paused. Originally, he wanted whatever Mary Margaret did. He would never be a "weekend dad" by any means, but if she wanted the child to live at her loft, he'd accept that and just come by a lot. But the more he saw Thomas with Alexandra or Kenneth with Gideon and Baelfire. He didn't want to miss a single moment. Yet, with that situation…it was something he was risking.

"It's not selfish if you want us to live together," Mary Margaret said, softly, almost as if she could read his thoughts. "To not want to miss a thing, I'm not sure I would either."

David softly smiled. "Are you sure? I mean…how would it work."

"I…I don't know," Mary Margaret admitted with a slight laugh. "I mean, you could come stay with me, sleep in the room upstairs. The baby would be down in a bassinet or crib for the first year or two anyway. If you wanted." She didn't want to push anything on him, but she didn't want him to feel left out on a single moment.

"I think that's a good idea." David nodded. "We can split rent and food, all that. And if I'm ever too much trouble, you can kick me out."

Mary Margaret smiled. "David Nolan, you could never be too much trouble." She paused. "By the way, I thought about that. I um, I want to give the baby your last name."

"Are you sure? You don't want to hyphenate?"

"No. I think he or she should have your last name. It means champion, noble. I think that's a perfect surname for our baby."

The smile returned to his face once again. "Well, that sounds like a perfect plan."

Inside, he could hear the guests loudly counting down. This was it, the year was almost over. Hopefully by the next time, the next year, they'd be able to skip the party all together because they had an infant to tend to.

 _10\. 9. 8._

Mary Margaret gazed up into his eyes. Hopefully by next year, they would be a family.

 _7\. 6. 5._

They'd be closer than ever.

 _4\. 3. 2._

All their dreams would come true.

 _1._

"Happy New Year, Mary Margaret," David whispered. From the balcony, they could hear muffled cheers of the drunken elite, but out there in the freezing cold, it was just them.

Mary Margaret smiled. "Happy New Year." She lifted the glass. "To new beginnings."

"I'll drink to that."

They clinked and sipped their champagne, smiling to each other.

It would be the year of new beginnings indeed.

As well as the year of true love.

* * *

This was too short for my liking, I just wanted them to have this conversation and show how their pasts have shaped them. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. In it, Mary Margaret and David will discuss a new way to try for their baby and it could change their friendship as they know it.


	5. Chapter 5

All about the awkward smut express!

* * *

Mary Margaret replayed the message once again. Dr. Seward was letting her know that in two weeks time, she'd have to come back in to be inseminated. Letting out a sigh, she looked out the window, watching a small blanket of snow cover the ground. Due to the weather, the kids were having recess in the gym and were being supervised by Jasmine. It was February, just days before Valentine's Day and she still wasn't pregnant.

It was time to broach Plan B with David. She just had to hope that he was going to take it well. Then again, how well could asking your best friend to sleep with you go?

She hadn't been with anyone since Victor and that had been nearly a year. When they started doing the inseminations, they both had STD tests and came up clean, but that didn't meant that David wasn't seeing someone.

Pulling out her phone, she texted David, asking him to meet her at the toll bridge. It always seemed to be "their place". It all started a little after he moved to town.

Her friends had somehow found out her birthday. They didn't know why she refused to celebrate it and decided to throw her a surprise party. David had told them all not to bother, that they should respect her wishes, but they all thought she was being modest. When Mary Margaret entered the diner and saw all the streamers, it took all she had not break down. She was a good sport for awhile until she noticed the time. She would never have forgotten that time. It burned in the back of her mind.

She snuck out of the back and went to the bridge. It was freezing cold, but she didn't care. She didn't want to go back to the big empty mansion (her dad was on a business trip), but the bridge was different. It wasn't long before David showed up. He put an arm around her and let her cry. She thought he'd find her selfish or mean, but instead he understood. He had his own dark days, whenever the anniversary of his parents' days came up. No one else understood or respected it, he promised to always do the same for Mary Margaret. Ever since then, when one of them was upset about something, that's where they'd go.

The rest of the day was hard to get through. She could barely stay on top of her lesson plan, Jasmine redirecting her a few times. Luckily, the kids didn't seem to notice. Eventually, when there was only a half hour left, Mary Margaret let them work on their Valentine's Day mailboxes.

"What's going on with you?" Jasmine asked as they made their way back to their shared desk. "You're never this distracted."

"I just have a lot on my mind," Mary Margaret admitted.

"Spill it."

She chewed on her lip. "It's nothing, really."

"Come on, Mare. We both get driven crazy by these rugrats, we can talk about this stuff."

Mary Margaret laughed. "I'm just…you need to keep this a secret, but I've been trying to have a baby."

Jasmine beamed, clasping her hands together. "That's great!"

"It is, I've been trying since the beginning of the school year, but nothing."

"Oh, well, it'll work. If you don't mind me asking…"

"I'm not comfortable releasing the father. We want to keep quiet until I'm actually pregnant."

Jasmine nodded. "I get it. Ali and I kept our relationship the same way. No matter what, this is exciting!" She quickly gave her a hug. Before they could say anything else, two separate students were calling them over for help.

Once the final bell rang and all of the kids had gone where they were supposed to, Mary Margaret drove to the bridge. She didn't have to wait long for David to arrive. She stepped out, adjusting the white beanie on her head. David rubbed his mitten clad hands together, tilting his head.

"What's going on?" He asked. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine. I just wanted to talk to you without any chance of anyone overhearing."

"Is it about the baby?" He smiled a bit. "Was the test wrong? Are you pregnant?"

"No." She could see his face fall and it tugged at her heart. She hated that look, the same one he had every time after another failed result. "In fact, I'm supposed to go to be inseminated on later this month."

"Right."

"But…I was thinking…" She sighed. "Okay, this isn't easy to say, but it needs to be. We've been doing this 5 months, I'm not pregnant. Maybe….maybe it's time we try another route."

David cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think we'd be a candidate for IVF."

"No, no, not that. Um…alright, I'm just going to say this. I think we should have sex."

David blinked rapidly a few times, wondering if he had heard her right. The more he stared at her, the more serious he realized she was. Mary Margaret…wanted to have sex with him. He would be lying if he said he never imagined it, at least very briefly. But that thought quickly went away, they were best friends after all.

Now here she was, suggesting they have sex, like she would suggest they go see a movie.

"I…why?"

"Why?"

"We agreed to do IUI."

"I know we did." Mary Margaret frowned. "And I know that 5 months isn't very long at all, but I don't want to wait any more. Maybe this wouldn't work either, but isn't it at least worth a shot?"

"Sex…sex has always meant something to me," he said. He wasn't trying to say no, just more think out loud. "I've only ever been with two women."

Mary Margaret nodded, she knew this. "I understand."

"And I'm not saying that having sex with you wouldn't mean something, I mean, we'd be trying to have a baby. I just…this is complicated. What if we do this and it changes things?"

"You mean what if we fall in love?"

The words escaped Mary Margaret's lips before she could take them back and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. At least she had stopped herself from asking if that'd be so bad. Of course it would be. Love was messy. Of course she already loved David, but they weren't in love. They were trying to co-parent a child some day. If they fell in love, things would be complicated.

Sex had always meant something to her, too. She hadn't been in love with every man she slept with, but even so, she didn't just give it up in a blink of an eye. She had hoped she'd get pregnant by the insemination by then but she hadn't.

"What if it ruins our friendship?" David clarified. "What if we do this and then you end up pregnant and we somehow hate each other?"

"I could never hate you, David. Do you really think you could ever hate me?"

David shook his head. "Of course not."

"Look, we don't have to do it this way. We could wait…I just…I think it's worth a shot."

David looked deep into her eyes. He wanted a baby just as badly as she did. Maybe it would work. Maybe for once, he could do something reckless. He slowly nodded his head.

"Okay."

Mary Margaret smiled. "Okay?"

"Yes. Let's…" He laughed. "Let's have sex."

Mary Margaret burst out laughing, there was a sentence she never expected to hear come from him. "Great."

"Should we wait until you're ovulating?"

"I mean…we could…but that hasn't always worked. I was thinking we could find a day that just works for us both and see what happens."

"I work the night shift tonight," he said.

Mary Margaret frowned. "I have dinner at my dad's tomorrow."

"That leaves…Saturday."

"Valentine's Day," Mary Margaret paused. "We don't have to…I mean…"

"No." He grinned. "I mean, imagine how badly we could ruin the holiday for our future child if we conceived then."

* * *

Mary Margaret stood in front of her underwear drawer, staring at the contents.

What did one wear when they had sex with their best friend?

She had a few pieces of sexy lingerie, presents from Victor. It didn't feel right to wear those in that instance. She pulled them out and threw them into the trash, unsure of why she kept them after all that time.

The next options were from when Ruby had dragged her to Victoria's Secret. It was her way of trying to cheer her up post break up. Mary Margaret had brought the bra and panties set home, never to wear them again. She had no reason to.

They were black, covered with matching lace. The only bit of color was in the center of the bra where there was a tiny red bow. It was definitely more something Ruby would wear, but that night, it was all about the adventure.

Sliding her clothes to the floor, she dressed in them, her eyes widening at how padded the bra was. She ran her fingers over the cleavage that poked out and stared at herself in the mirror. She had never thought of herself as sexy, she dressed as quickly as she could. She had never paid attention much before to what men thought of her naked.

Would David be disappointed?

"Shut up, it's not about that," she mumbled to herself.

She walked to her wardrobe and pulled out the outfit she had already selected: a red V-neck sweater and a pair of jeans. Her breath caught when she heard a sudden knock at the door. Walking over, she slowly opened it and found him on the other side.

David's cheeks and nose were pink from being out in the cold. In his hands was a pizza box and a bottle of wine. She wordlessly lead him inside and he set the stuff down. She shuffled through her cabinets and pulled out two wine glasses. He removed his jacket and took the plates down from where they had always been. They settled down across from each other, before Mary Margaret started laughing.

"I mean…when has pizza and wine ever been weird?" she asked.

"I guess when we're about to have sex," David nervously chuckled.

"Do you um…do you have any questions?"

"Have you been with anyone since Whale?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "And you hinted that you haven't been with anyone since Kathryn."

"Yeah."

"Can I um…can I ask you who the first person was?"

David raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know?"

"You know all the people I've slept with," she countered.

"Fair." He slowly chewed on his pizza slice. "Cristina."

Mary Margaret nearly choked on her wine. "You slept with Cruella?!"

David rolled his eyes. "Her name is Cristina."

"It's Cruella."

Cristina de Vil had been one of the nastiest girls in their high school class. She only had one friend, someone who was just as bad as her. She was so cruel, that combined with her unfortunate last name, she earned the nickname Cruella. She owned it and smirked whenever someone called her it. She also just so happened to be obsessed with James Nolan, who was dating someone else at the time.

"I don't…you lost your virginity to Cruella?"

"And you lost yours to Herc," he countered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Herc wasn't…well…"

"Look, it wasn't the proudest moment in my life," he sighed. "I knew she was only after me because I looked just like James. I wasn't stupid. But up until then, I didn't exactly have any girls interested."

Mary Margaret frowned. "That can't be true."

"It was. I just…I was lonely. So, we dated in secret. It was hard, to keep it from you and everyone else."

"So…what happened?"

"Eventually, I realized that she was never going to love me." He shrugged. "I wasn't James and I wasn't going to pretend to be that for her."

"I'm sorry." Mary Margaret took his hand. "You deserved better than that."

"I know. Look, it was a long time ago, I was a stupid teenager with not a lot of self esteem. I've changed since then. You do have a right to know though, you're right."

Mary Margaret nodded. "I'm sorry I flipped out a bit."

"It's fine." He chuckled. "I mean, if I was anyone else, I'd say you were right."

"Is she really any different than how she acted at school?"

"Not really. I mean, we've kept in touch over the years. I wouldn't say we're friends, but we still talk. She wrote me after James died."

"That's good."

"Look, Mary Margaret, I just need you to know that I take this seriously." David bit his lip. "I want to be a good influence over our a child. I'm really not the same guy I was back then."

"And I'm not the same girl I was. That's the whole point in growing up, you, ya know, grow."

He smiled and they continued to eat their dinner, chatting absent mindedly. Eventually, most of the pizza was gone and they knew if they had more wine, their minds would be too cloudy. Mary Margaret didn't know what else to do, so she started to go through the songs on her phone. Soon, she came across Matt Alber's cover of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". She extended her hand to David and he accepted it, following her into the living room.

Her arms around his neck, his around her waist, he stared down at her. She really was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever known. Most were disappointed when she cut her long locks and kept her pixie cut, but he loved it. It suited her face. She was a princess in his eyes, she deserved the world. Everyone had always teased him that he should just kiss her, so they could finally be together. In that moment, he actually wanted to.

Leaning down, he kissed her. Mary Margaret deepened it for a moment, surprised at how right it felt. Her hands began traveling down to his flannel button down Her fingers twirled around the buttons and one by one, they became undone. Her breath hitched as she took in his chest. She had seen it plenty of times over the years, whether it be at the beach or when he was fixing someone's car. Her fingers traced over the scar he had gotten from fighting off George one night when he was wasted. That was the night that David decided it was finally time to escape his step-father's clutches.

"I almost forgot about that," she whispered. She had been so scared he was going to die that night.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I bounced back."

Not wanting to stay sad for long, she removed her sweater and jeans. His eyes widened, feeling himself suddenly attracted to her. Taking him by the hand, she lead him to the bed, him discarding his jeans along the way.

The next part was the hardest. They were laying on her bed, in nothing but their underwear. There was no more kissing, they knew what had to come next. David moved his hand towards her underwear, then pulled away. She smiled.

"You can touch," she whispered. "I'll tell you if I want you to stop."

Slowly, he moved them down and she did the same to his boxers. Never before had they been so exposed to one another. She wasn't sure what to get from his penis, but it was certainly better than she imagined. He removed her bra so he could get a look at her breasts and became harder. He started kissing down her stomach, nibbling when he reached her clitoris. She bit down on her lip, suppressing a moan of ecstasy. No one had ever tried that before and she absolutely loved it.

"You like that?" He asked, moving his tongue to taste her. God, how she tasted good.

"Uh huh…but this isn't fair. I want to feel you inside me."

A smirk fell across his lips and he adjusted himself, allowing to enter. The sudden movement of his erect penis felt strange, but it also made her gasp out in amazement. He leaned forward and she gripped onto his arms. Suddenly, things weren't so awkward. They felt…right.

The movements, the subtle stolen kisses, she hadn't felt so happy in a long time. The thought that this could potentially lead to everything they ever wanted.

"Harder," she moaned. "Harder."

"That better?"

"Mmm…"

She hadn't orgasmed much during her relationship with Whale and felt it was normal. That night, however, she did. David's seed spread out inside of her and he soon fell beside her, both panting.

"Well…that was…" She whispered.

"What you were expecting?"

"More than that."

"I had fun too." He rolled over so he could run her fingers through her hair. "You think it worked."

"We'll find out in a few weeks, I guess." She looked up at him. "If it didn't…would you…"

"I'd be more than willing to do this again."

She laughed. "And I used to think it was weird that girls wanted to kiss you."

"Hey!"

"Well, sorry, you're my best friend."

"I guess to be fair, I felt the same way."

"You never imagined kissing me?"

"Not for awhile," he admitted. "But I'm glad I finally got the chance to."

The two stared at each other. Before anything else could be said, her cell phone buzzed. She let out an annoyed sigh and looked at the screen, the annoyance instantly leaving her face.

"It's Belle," she said. "Baelfire needs an emergency appendix surgery."

David quickly sat up. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine, but in their rush, they brought Gideon. He obviously can't stay there the whole time…she's asking if I can go get him."

"Go, it's fine."

"You sure? We just…I don't want to be…"

"Mary Margaret, our friends need you. I could stay here to help if you want."

She smiled. "That's sweet, but you have an early day tomorrow. I'll call you."

"Alright."

Getting dressed and bundled up, they headed down to their cars. Looking back at one another as they unlocked them, they had to remind themselves one thing.

They were friends.

 _Just friends._

* * *

David sat in his office, making a face at his paperwork. It was one of his most dreaded things. He would much rather be out on patrol. Yet, as sheriff, he was always saddled with the brunt of it. He always put it off for last and was paying for it. Graham, Thomas and Leroy were either enjoying their day off or on call, so he couldn't even bribe them to help.

Taking a sip of his coffee, he allowed himself to remember why he was so anxious. It had been exactly 5 weeks since he and Mary Margaret had sex. She had missed her period right after, but she wanted to be cautious and wait, in case a positive wouldn't show up. That very day, she was supposed to test. If it worked, they would be on their way to being parents. If it didn't…well they'd have to try again (not that he minded in the least).

The door to the station opened and he didn't bother looking up, figuring it was Thomas coming back. That was, until he heard the voice.

"Davey, darling."

Freezing in spot, David slowly looked up and found Cristina standing there. She still looked good, all those years later. She had long abandoned the mini-skirts and crop tops, now she was wearing a Dalmatian spotted coat over a red dress. Her blonde hair was curled even more around her chin, making her look like a 20s flapper dancer.

"Cristina," he choked out. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my favorite sheriff," she drawled, moving closer to him. "Why else would I be here, chiseled chin?"

He stood up, allowing himself to smell her god-awful perfume when she hugged him. "New York's an awful long way away," he said. "Or so you said when you missed James' funeral."

"Yes, well," she shook her head, blinking a bit. "I have a proposition for you."

"Cristina…"

"Oh relax, it's nothing like that," she rolled her eyes. "Though, I wouldn't mind…"

"You said it wasn't like that," he interrupted.

"Right, right." Cristina hopped up and perched herself up onto his desk, pulling a pack of cigarettes from her purse. "Want one?"

"No, and there's no smoking in here."

A pout fell across her lips. "You're no fun, Davey." Cristina pushed the pack back in. "Anyway, as I'm sure you know, I started my own private investigating business a few years back. It's doing quite well."

"That's good to hear."

"And I've gotten close with a few people in the NYPD," she continued. "I happen to know that one of their detectives is retiring this fall. They're looking for a replacement and I told them I think I know just the ticket?"

"Who?"

"Why, you of course, darling."

David paused. When he went to college for criminal justice, he had pictured becoming a detective some day. However, he knew he had to start off in Storybrooke. He had interned for the (then) sheriff over the years and had connections. It was easier than being a small fish in a big pond in the city. If Cristina had come to him the year before, he would've been all over it.

Things were different, though. Mary Margaret could potentially be pregnant and even if she wasn't, he had promised her they'd do whatever it took to start a family. Storybrooke was her home, she had said several times she never wanted to live anywhere else. They had friends there, family. She wouldn't give it all up, to move to a city where they knew no one except Cristina of all people.

Awhile ago, it had been his dream. Now, he had new one.

"I…I can't."

"Why of course you can." Cristina laughed. "This is all you talked about back in high school."

"Things are different now."

"How? I thought you and Lawyer Stick Up Her Butt got a divorce?"

"Kathryn," David rolled his eyes. "But I'm sort of…um…trying to start a family."

Cristina cocked an eyebrow. "With whom?"

"It's not important. I just…I can't take this job. It's not what's best for my family."

"Davey, you've given a lot up over the years, I'd hate to see this go to waste. Listen, I'm in town for a few more days, visiting with Ursula and all, if you change your mind…"

"I won't."

"Well, if you do, or even if it takes more time, as I said the detective doesn't retire until October." She pulled out a business card and handed it to him. "That's the number to call. I know you'll make the right choice."

She got up and gave him another hug before strutting out of the station. David stared down at the business card for a moment. Cristina was right, he was going to make the right choice.

Ripping up the card, he tossed the remnants into the trash can and sat back down to complete the paperwork.

* * *

Mary Margaret sat at the island, tapping her foot impatiently. She had taken the test and it was waiting, face down in the bathroom. She had promised she wouldn't look until David arrived and he was late.

She was doing all she could to not get her hopes up. Her period had been late before and it had all been for nothing. This time could've been the same.

The door opened and David came in, throwing his jacket up onto the hook. "Sorry, I had to finish up some paperwork."

"It's fine. Let's just…let's look."

Clutching his hand into hers, they slowly walked into the bathroom. Leaning down, she took the test into her hand and shut her eyes.

"I can't look, you do it for me."

There was silence and she couldn't tell if it was the good kind. Next, she could hear some sniffling. Mary Margaret looked up and could see that David was crying. That wasn't something she saw often, not since James died.

"David…"

"We're going to have a baby," he whispered.

"What?"

"Look at the test."

Her eyes drifted down and she saw it. Clear as day.

Two pink lines.

A loud yelp escaped her lips as the tears poured down her face. David pulled her in for a big hug and she clung tighter to him.

They were going to have a baby.

* * *

Snowing is finally pregnant! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was lots of fun to write. As always, let me know what you think and what you want to see happen. Until next time, friends. =)


	6. Chapter 6

I'll be honest, I have no idea how long I want this story to be. I don't think it's going to be as long as my typical multi-chapter fic, but we'll see.

* * *

 _David's eyes flickered open and he felt very hard. There was a sensation on his penis and he realized just what it was…Mary Margaret. A smile fell across his lips and he let out a tiny moan. He could see her head peeking out from under the covers, concentrated on her work. He gripped onto the pillow and felt her tiny kisses mixed in with the sucking. He didn't want to reach the climax, not yet, he wanted to savor each and every moment. However, his body overrode his heart and he soon came, panting heavily._

" _That's certainly one way to wake up," he mumbled._

 _Mary Margaret shrugged and cuddled up against his chest. "I woke up and was bored."_

" _We have a newborn, how could you possibly be bored?"_

" _He's out like a light."_

 _David looked down at her, taking in every feature. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that came through the curtains. They matched the ring on her left hand, the very same ring his father had given to his mother. Her cheeks were flushed from her previous activity. Due to breast feeding, she was wearing a loose nightgown. There was evidence of the long nights in the bags under her eyes and her hair hadn't been washed in a couple of days. It didn't matter, though. She was beautiful, every inch of her._

 _Suddenly, he became aware of the bassinet just a few feet away from the bed. Reaching over, he peered down inside. A chubby newborn laid there, wailing and wiggling about. He reached inside, taking him into his arms and kissing his forehead._

" _So much for sleep," he muttered._

" _Hey, he's been asleep since 2 and it's…." Mary Margaret trailed off and she glanced over at their alarm clock. "7."_

" _Much better than…"_

 _Before he could finish the sentence, there were light footsteps outside the door. It was slowly pushed open and all he saw were fluffy swan slippers…_

David's eyes opened and he looked around the room, realizing where he was. There was no more of that warm, inviting master bedroom. Instead, he was in his mostly empty apartment, boxes taped up and the faintest smell of the Chinese food he had ordered the night before.

It wasn't the first time he had dreams of having sex with Mary Margaret. They had been happening ever since Valentine's Day, the first time they slept together. It wasn't every night, but at least once a week, he'd wake up feeling sweaty and wet. He hadn't had a wet dream since junior high and didn't understand what was going on. It had been one time, to make a baby.

Yet he still fantasized about it all.

That was the first time he had dreamt about the baby, though. He chalked that one up to having their first ultrasound the day before. There hadn't been much, he could barely make out the fetus on the screen, but the heartbeat is what got to him. Mary Margaret was really pregnant with a baby. Their baby.

A baby boy?

It was far too early to tell and he didn't want to get his hopes up. Dreams hardly meant anything. After all, in that dream they were clearly engaged or married. That wasn't going to happen. They didn't even live in that house he always seemed to dream about.

They were about to live together, though.

They hadn't been able to move in together as son as she found out she was pregnant. He still had a lease to finish up, which luckily was through at the end of the month. The furniture had been there when he moved in and the landlord offered to sell it to him for a price, but he declined. Mary Margaret's spare room had a bed and all that. In fact, outside his clothes, he wasn't bringing much. He had his computer, the collection of movies and books he had accumulated over the year and his degrees. He had pictures from his childhood, before George entered the picture and the few of James before he died. There was only one thing he had of value that he kept with him, no matter what: his mother's wedding ring.

Ruth had given it to David on the day she married George. She said it didn't feel right wearing it, it wouldn't be fair to Robert. She told him to keep it safe, give it to the woman he loved. Despite being so young, he kept true to his word and protected it with all his might. However, when he got older and James took a turn, he ended up stealing and pawning the ring for drugs. David was furious. The one thing they had left of their mother (and by extension, their father) and he sold it for crack. He was with Kathryn at the time and had been planning on proposing. He had been unable to find the ring, so he bought a different one.

Shortly after James' death, one of his old friends came to David and told him that he had found the ring among the possessions of the man who had killed him. He thought he'd like to have it. Kathryn took one look at it, turned her nose up and said she was perfectly fine with her diamond from Gold's Pawnshop. So, he stuck it in his sock drawer and said they could give it to their child.

Now the ring was packed away, ready to go into his new sock drawer. One day, he'd present it to his future child and offer it to them. In many ways, he was glad that Kathryn was a jewelry snob. He had nearly lost it for good once, he wasn't going to let it happen again.

Pulling himself out of bed, he showered and changed into the one outfit he left out. Just as he was finishing tying up a trash bag, Kenneth and Thomas barged into the apartment. Thomas was wearing a beat up pair of jeans and an old college t-shirt, while Kenneth was still in one of his suits, cane in hand. David had told him not to worry about helping with the move, but he was waved off. Gold was nothing, if not stubborn.

"Let's get you moved in with your baby mama," Thomas said, with a twinkle in his eye.

Telling their friends about the baby had been a challenge. Obviously, Kenneth and Regina knew about it (and by extension, Belle and Mal, since their partners had told them). They weren't sure what to expect, but they seemed accepting, on the outside anyway. Mary Margaret and David weren't stupid. Their friends had questions, they just knew better than to ask them in the moment. Instead, they all just hugged them and had big congratulations. As Ruby brought up co-parenting, she was swiftly interrupted by Ashley, who instead started asking Mary Margaret about what symptoms she was experiencing.

"Can you not refer to her as that, please?" David asked, with a slight eye roll.

"Sorry." He paused for a moment and David could tell his friend had something more to say.

"Go on with it."

Thomas sighed. "Look, I'm happy for you two, I really am. I also think it's great that you're going to be living together. I mean, I love Alex, I can't imagine a day without my little girl…"

"Did your rambling have a point?" Gold asked. "I'm not gonna get any younger."

He cast a look at the older man before glancing back at David. "Have you thought about what you're going to tell the baby some day?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Mr. Crabby Pants over here can explain to Bae that sometimes things don't work out in marriage," Thomas continued, ignoring Kenneth's cane poking his leg over the nickname. "What are you going to tell him or her?"

"I…I don't know," David admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, I guess that we both just wanted a family and who better to have a child than with your best friend?"

"And when they ask why Mommy and Daddy aren't together?"

"You really think they're not going to be together by the time the baby is old enough to ask this?" Kenneth asked.

"We won't be," David said.

"Okay, sure, whatever."

David resisted the urge to trip him. "Look, I don't know. Hopefully the baby just won't question things, to them, it's just going to be normal."

"But it's not normal," Thomas said. "I'm not saying what you two did is wrong, but look around. Even for co-parenting situations, this isn't a typical situation."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now come on, let's get these boxes into the truck."

He purposefully hoisted the heaviest box into Thomas' arms when the two men stepped forward to start helping.

* * *

Mary Margaret flattened out the sheet on the bed, looking around. She had done her best to make the room as much to David's liking as possible. The bedding was a dark blue and the walls had been stripped of the floral paintings she had purchased when she first moved in. She couldn't do much about the horrid wallpaper, the stupid landlord refused to let her paint.

"Anything would be a step up from his last place," Ashley commented from her spot in the arm chair near the bed. Alexandra was bundled up in her arms, feeding contently. "I mean, it was the literal definition of bachelor pad."

"He had to find it on short notice," Mary Margaret reminded her.

Ashley nodded. "Does Kathryn know?"

"Not yet. I do my best to avoid talking to her at all costs."

"You know you'll have to tell her eventually, don't you?"

"I'm more concerned about telling my father."

Ashley made a face. "Oh yeah, I'd be worried about that too. I don't think my step-mother knows about Alexandra yet."

Mary Margaret nodded sympathetically and settled in the chair next to her. She stared at her friend for a few moments, watching as she burped the baby and smiled down at her as if she was the only person on that Earth. Suddenly, her head snapped up and she beamed.

"Oh, I meant to tell you! I brought you a baby gift," she said. "I left it in the car, here, hold Alexandra."

Alexandra was put in her arms and Ashley dashed down the stairs. Mary Margaret couldn't help but chuckle. Ashley had always been a little spacey. She looked down at Alexandra, taking in her different features. She was a few months old, but already it was cleared she favored her mother. The one thing she inherited from her father, was her nose. She adjusted Alex and started bouncing her.

"Do you think you can be friends with my baby?" She asked. "I'm kind of worried about that. I always had more friends than I knew what to do with, but David said he didn't really have friends until he moved to Storybrooke. I just think it'd be nice if you and my baby could look out for one another. What do you say?"

The baby yawned a bit and raised her fist in the air, which made Mary Margaret laugh.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The door to the loft opened again and Ashley appeared, holding a rather large box. She came up the stairs and set it at Mary Margaret's feet, taking her daughter back. Slowly, Mary Margaret tore off the paper and lifted the lid. She gasped as she lifted out the blue and white glass mobile. There were clearly hand crafted unicorns hanging from each of the crystals. She slowly touched one, a smile going across her face.

"Ashley, this is beautiful," she breathed.

"I got two different mobiles at my baby shower." She shrugged. "This one didn't really go with the nursery's theme. I know you don't know what you're having yet, but I figured unicorns can work for either."

Mary Margaret settled it back down into the newspaper and stood up, hugging her friend. "It's perfect, thank you."

"Don't mention it." She looked around the room. "Mary Margaret, you know what you're doing, don't you?"

"What?"

"The baby, David moving in…you're a smart woman. You have to know what's happening here."

"Ashley…"

"Just…don't fight anything, okay? You deserve to be happy."

Mary Margaret's mouth fell open. Where the hell had that come from? Normally, it was Ruby who gave the blunt advice. Ashley was the one who nudged her and got her to shut up. The door to the loft opened once again and she could hear the men bickering about something.

"I…I'm gonna go help the guys," Mary Margaret stammered. She moved the box to a shelf in the closet and quickly walked downstairs. "You got everything over here in one load?"

"Yup, I didn't really have much I wanted to bring," David replied. He examined her face, telling something was off. "You okay?"

"Fine. Here, let me…"

"No," David waved her off. "You're pregnant, you're not helping."

Mary Margaret arched an eyebrow. "David, I am not sick with the flu. I don't need to be up in bed all day."

"I know, but you don't need to carry any heavy boxes."

She rolled her eyes and took the few that Gold was holding, heading up the stairs. Ashley giggled from the bottom, starting to rock a now fussy Alexandra.

"You should know better than to tell Mary Margaret to not do something," she observed.

David made a face. She was right. After putting Alexandra down in the playpen she had brought by, Ashley got to work helping them bring in all the boxes.

The next part was unpacking everything. Mary Margaret was folding up the clothes when she came across the tiny velvet box. Flipping it open, she saw the ring inside. She knew just what it was, she had been with David the day it was returned. Thomas glanced over to ask her if she had any more pegs to hang up a poster and saw it. A smirk fell across his face.

"David, is there something you wanted to ask Mary Margaret?" He asked.

David looked over and paused. "I forgot that was in there," he said.

"Wanted it to be a surprise, did you?"

"Thomas, can you stop being an asshole for once in your life?" Mary Margaret snapped. After Ashley's quips, she wasn't in the mood. Thomas raised his hands in mock defense. "It was his mother's. He's saving it for his child."

Ashley smiled, trying to ease the tension her husband caused. "That's sweet. It's such a pretty ring."

"It matches Mare's eyes," Thomas continued, clearly not knowing when to quit.

"It does not," Mary Margaret lied. It wasn't like she had thought that when she first saw it.

"Prove it."

Mary Margaret glanced over at David and he shrugged, he wanted the banter to end so things could stop being awkward. Taking the ring from the box, she slid it onto the ring finger on her left hand. Gazing down at the ring, she realized she didn't want to take it off. David was staring at her too, looking from the ring to her. A silence fell over the room as Ashley, Thomas and Gold stared at them. Mary Margaret knew she had to shake it off, she was being crazy, pregnancy hormones getting to her.

"Yeah, not me at all," she confirmed, taking it off and putting it back in the box before handing it to David. "I don't know where you want that."

David quickly nodded and fumbled to put it in the sock drawer. Neither of them noticed the look Ashley was giving her husband, a warning to not say anything more.

The rest of the unpacking went over fairly smoothly. Kenneth managed to ease the tension by mentioning that Belle would be by later with some food. That lead the topic to pregnancy cravings. Mary Margaret didn't have any yet, it was a bit too soon, but food did taste a little different. Ashley went on to talking about how she could never eat her once favorite lobster bisque because when she was pregnant, the scent of it made her want to gag.

As promised, Belle came later with some food and both of her boys in tow. Baelfire read stories to the babies while the adults chatted and eventually, everyone drifted out, heading home. Mary Margaret and David were left alone, doing dishes.

"I wanted to talk to you about my gun," David said.

Mary Margaret winced. "You know I hate it."

"I do, but I'm the sheriff, I have to have it. I locked it up in the safe in my closet. It's one of the newer ones, it has facial recognition and everything," he explained. "There's no way the baby would ever be able to access it."

A grateful smile went across her face. "Thanks."

"It's not like I would want them to." He glanced over at the clock. "I didn't realize what time it was."

"Yeah, I should probably head to bed myself."

They stood there awkwardly for a minute. How was this supposed to go down? Did she hug him? Kiss his cheek? Eventually, he leaned down, kissing the top of her head.

"Night."

"Night," she whispered.

Watching him go up the stairs, she let out a deep breath. She was going to sleep, with a man in the loft. It wasn't the first time, Victor had spent the night many times. The only difference was that they shared a bed. David would be upstairs, sleeping. It was so weird and she didn't understand why. He was her best friend!

Quickly getting ready for bed, she slipped under the covers and shut her eyes. She just had to get through the first night. After that, things would get easier. Little did she know, her dreams were not going to bring her any comfort.

 _Mary Margaret hadn't wanted to have her party, but Eva had insisted. She promised she'd be out of the hospital and better in no time. It wasn't the first time that the cancer had brought her in and she was always home within a few days. So, Mary Margaret put on a brave face and played with her friends, chasing them all around._

 _The phone kept ringing, no one went to answer it. Leopold had somehow managed to turn the party into a business meeting with a few of his clients. Eventually, he shouted over to Johanna to answer it. She did and a solemn look fell across her face. She walked over to her boss and whispered into his ear. He froze and raced to grab his keys. Mary Margaret was confused, but Johanna assured her everything would be okay and to have some cake._

 _The party tapered out and Johanna told Mary Margaret they could go see her mother. She was excited and grabbed her favorite present, a doll her father had given her. She clutched to it, a big smile on her face. She didn't quite understand why Johanna wasn't. When they arrived, Johanna spoke with a nurse who wasn't smiling either._

" _She passed a few minutes ago."_

" _Who passed what?" Mary Margaret asked. No one said a word. "Can I see my mommy now?"_

 _Before anyone could answer, she pushed past the nurse, ignoring Johanna's pleas for her to come back. She hadn't seen her mommy all day, she wanted to show her the doll. Pushing the door open, she found her father standing next to her mother's bed. Her mom looked different, though. Her eyes weren't open, yet she didn't appear to be sleeping. She was so young, yet Mary Margaret knew._

 _The porcelain doll slipped from her hands and fell to the floor, shattering at her feet as she screamed. Her father's head snapped up, clearly realizing her presence for the first time._

"Mary Margaret!"

Her eyes opened and she found David perched on her bed. She was breathing heavily and tears were coming down her face.

"You were screaming in your sleep," he said.

She didn't say anything else, there was nothing to say. Instead, the tears fell harder and she began to sob. David pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back soothingly. She buried her head into his shoulder, clinging to him for dear life. The breathing subsided, but her tears didn't.

"It was that dream again," she whispered.

"Oh Mare…"

"I…I don't want to be alone." The words escaped her lips before she knew what she was saying. "Please…please don't leave me."

David didn't have to be asked again. He slid down in the bed, holding her close. Her head rested on his chest and she could hear his even heartbeat.

"You're not alone, Mary Margaret," he whispered. "I promise."

* * *

Next chapter...Mary Margaret and David decide it's time to tell Leopold about the baby…


	7. Chapter 7

Mary Margaret stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her sweater. Normally, she didn't attempt to hide the changes in her body. She wasn't getting a bump right away, but she was attaining some curves. Her students, of course, were none the wiser and people around town were learning of her pregnancy. However, there was one person she wanted to keep it from one person until she could tell him herself.

Her father.

She had never been one to confide in him about much. Even when she was going through feminine changes, she'd turn to Johanna and ask for her help. If she was having an issue at school, she'd handle it herself. Leopold was a busy man, he couldn't be bothered with knowing that Betsy Eller had stuck gum in her hair. As far as he knew, she was a good girl, one who didn't cause trouble or get a part of it.

Now, she was pregnant out of wedlock and had planned it. There were a few ways it could go and the thought alone scared her. There were many times she wished she could talk to her mother, but then more than ever. She wasn't the type to feel comfort talking to a grave. That was more David's thing. After James died, she accompanied him to Boston to clear up their graves and put down fresh flowers. He went once every few months to do just that and talk to them. It brought him great solace.

She avoided Eva's grave as much as she could. She went a few times with Leopold as a child, but then he grew too busy and she just felt too much pain. The only person who still went was Johanna, she'd plant fresh snow bells, Eva's favorite.

Mary Margaret had been born during one of the harshest winters in Maine's history. It had been a blizzard and they hadn't been able to make it to the hospital, so she was forced to deliver at home. Eva had wanted to name her daughter "Snow", so badly but Leopold vetoed it, saying she'd be bullied. Instead, it was a special nickname from Eva. She'd call her "my Snow". It was a name Mary Margaret missed more than anything.

Spring was upon them, but it was still a bit chilly, so she'd get away with a jean jacket. She was wearing an oversized long sleeved t-shirt under it just in case Leopold insisted she remove it. There was no telling what he'd expect from her. She had a cotillion at age 10, a coming out party when she was 15. Even at a family dinner, she knew she'd be expected to dress up at least a little.

"Is that what you're wearing?" David asked.

Mary Margaret turned around, taking in his nice button down and khakis. "Yes. Is it a problem?"

He raised his hands. "No, I don't care what you wear. I just thought you liked dressing up for your father."

"I am not in the mood. This whole thing is tense enough." She tilted her head back, rubbing her temples. "Why is this so stressful? I'm pregnant, I'm giving him a grandchild, it's what he's always wanted."

"Exactly." David finished buttoning his cuffs and walked over, putting his hands on her shoulders. "He'll be so excited."

She gave him a soft smile. "You think so?"

David nodded, but she could see the hesitance in his eyes. There was no hiding that as much as Mary Margaret despised George, he didn't like Leopold. Before his step-father, his family had been such a loving one. He didn't understand how Leopold could just leave his daughter alone for long stretches of time and not understand her. It was clear from the New Years Eve party that he didn't get why Mary Margaret had dumped Victor. Then again, in his circle, cheating was ignored. It happened heavily, but no one divorced over it. That would just cause a scandal.

"Let's just get going," he said. "You know how he feels about people being late."

"Isn't that how we got into this predicament?" She asked with a smirk.

David rolled his eyes. "Are we taking my truck or your car?"

"My car."

She grabbed the keys off the rack and they headed down to it. Of all the times to hit traffic, there was none. They reached Leopold's right on time, early even. Mary Margaret slowly took the keys out of the ignition and looked over at David.

"Just know…no matter what he says, I have no regrets about this," she said. "I wanted to have this baby with you and I still do." She gave him a soft smile. "Promise you won't go running?"

"Nothing could make me run from you and my child." David returned her smile and squeezed her hand. "We're in this together."

Mary Margaret's smile grew as she let out the breath she was holding. It took her a moment to realize that she was still holding tightly to his hand, letting go once she did. Together, they headed up the walk and rang the doorbell. The maid answered the door and took their coats, leading them inside. Leopold headed out of the dining room, a smile on his face.

"Mary Margaret, it's so nice to see you, honey." He gave her a light hug, kissing her cheek. He turned to David. "And David, how are you?"

David shook his outstretched hand. "Very good, sir."

"I was surprised to hear that Mary Margaret wanted you to come to dinner." He tilted his head. "Still surprised, actually."

"Well Daddy, um…" Mary Margaret trailed off, looking around the room. "How about we have drinks?"

"Drinks sound good. Beer, David?"

"If you have some," David said.

"Martini, Mare?"

Mary Margaret froze, she hadn't thought through the drink suggestion. "Actually, I'm not drinking tonight. I'll just have some club soda."

If Leopold was suspicious, he didn't show it. He lead the two into the parlor and they were seated as he fetched the drinks. He settled down across from them, David slowly sipping his beer. He wanted to stretch it out to keep it to one drink. He couldn't be under the influence for this news.

"So," Leopold said as he took a swig of his scotch. "How are things at the station, David?"

"Pretty good, crime is going down."

"You speak to George often about cases?"

David's jaw tightened a bit. "We actually don't have to consult much. I see him around town, though."

"Right. And Mary Margaret, school?"

"Amazing, the kids are making decorations for our spring party. They're so excited," Mary Margaret smiled as she thought of the paper flowers and murals.

"You're always excited about that one. You had a knack for planning, always said you could start your own empire."

Mary Margaret avoided the jab. Her father hadn't exactly taken well to her career choice. He had pressured her to go to business school, but she had always loved children and wanted to do something with them. He had begged her to at least try to become principal at some point, but she didn't want to do that either.

"Anyway, Daddy," Mary Margaret quickly changed the subject, not even wanting to go down that road. "How about you? What have you been up to?"

Leopold launched into a long description of his last business trip, going on and on about Fiji. They were thankfully interrupted by the maid who lead them into the dining room for dinner. As they dug into their roast, David could feel Leopold's eyes on him. He stiffened, feeling uncomfortable. He hated that feeling, it wasn't one he had since he lived with George. Dinners were always a formal affair, no talking about your day or any of that. George expected silence and good table manners. The entire plate had to be cleared unless either brother wanted to be screamed at.

Something told David, however, that Leopold wasn't making sure that he ate the entirety of the roast in front of him.

"Are you two dating?" Leopold asked.

Mary Margaret's head shot up. "What?"

"Dating? Is that why you insisted he come tonight?"

"No. We're not dating."

"Then why do you both look so nervous?"

Mary Margaret sighed and glanced over at David, who gave her an encouraging smile. Sitting up straighter, she carefully set down her fork and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin.

"Well, Daddy, we have some news. It's very exciting, well for us it is, and we just hope you feel the same."

Leopold tilted his head. "Go on."

"I'm pregnant."

The silence that fell over the room could've knocked the wind out of anyone. Leopold looked from Mary Margaret to David, sizing them each up and down.

"Pregnant," he slowly repeated.

"12 weeks. I have sonograms if you'd like to see…"

"So, you're not dating, but you had what? A one night stand?"

Mary Margaret cringed. "It wasn't like that…"

"My grandchild is just going to be a bastard? Is that it?"

"Our child is not a bastard," David growled, his teeth grating together.

Mary Margaret frowned at her father's unpleasant reaction. "Daddy, please just hear us out. We've both wanted a child for quite some time, but clearly neither of us were getting to a relationship where we could have one…"

"You were with Victor, he was with Kathryn," Leopold interrupted.

"Well, that didn't work out," she continued, patiently. David had no clue how she wasn't ready to rip his head off already. "So, we decided that it'd be better to have a child with someone we trusted and loved, to have a child with our best friend." She smiled at David and somehow, he managed to match it. "We decided to have a child together and it finally worked, your grandchild is due mid-November."

Leopold put his knife down, continuing to look between the two in front of him. He took a long sip of his wine before shaking his head.

"What are people going to say?" He asked.

"Well the people who know are pretty happy," David pointed out.

"I didn't mean your friends, this town is so Pollyanna, they'd be okay with anything, God knows." Leopold rolled his eyes. "I meant the people in my circle. How am I supposed to explain this to my colleagues?"

"That you're going to be a grandpa?" Mary Margaret wasn't naïve, she knew that wasn't what he meant, but the words slipped out before she could think of anything else.

"That I'm going to be a grandfather to a child born out of wedlock, to two people that aren't even together. When the father is…a police officer."

"Hey," Mary Margaret's eyes narrowed. "David is not a police officer. He is the sheriff and he is the youngest one ever inducted to Storybrooke." She felt a sudden wave of protection for her best friend.

Leopold waved her off. "And it's not as if people don't know his upbringing, before George he was the son of two farmers. It's no secret that he's practically cut off his step-father…"

"For reasons that are none of anyone's business," David interrupted.

Leopold rolled his eyes yet again. "Don't you think I have to explain you enough to my friends, Mary Margaret? Everyone always asks why my daughter is a school teacher, my bright daughter. The one who got straight A's and had offers from every business school on the East Coast, the one who was destined for great things…"

"And did great things!"

"This is between me and my daughter, David." Leopold turned to his daughter, fully. "Did you even think this through? You know, I always thought, at least you'd marry well. Then you let Victor slip away…"

"He cheated on me!" Mary Margaret exploded.

Leopold's eyes widened. She never raised her voice at her father, ever, but she had about enough.

"You know this, Dad! I have told you a million times, Victor isn't the monogamous type and I can't be with someone like that!"

"Monogamy is not everything."

"It is for me." She let out a shallow breath. "I couldn't be happy in a relationship where I knew I was constantly being cheated on."

"But you're happy being pregnant by the town sheriff?"

"Yes! Because David is an amazing man!" Mary Margaret fought off the tears that came out of instinct. "Because he has morals and cares about people. He's my best friend, a man I love, a man I've known for over a dozen years. He loves children, wants them just as much as I do. He is the one person I can see myself having a child with." She looked over at David and despite the tears, she smiled. "He's the dream father of my child and I couldn't picture anyone else." Her eyes went back to Leopold. "Our baby is not a bastard and until you apologize for calling him or that, until you apologize to David, then you will have nothing to do with this child."

She got to her feet and headed for the door. David jumped up, scrambling to follow. He had no expected that last line to come out of Mary Margaret's mouth. He now hated Leopold more than anything, but he was expecting him to be the grandpa from hell. That he'd come around, always hating him, secretly resenting the child's existence. He didn't want that for the baby, it was why he wasn't telling George in the first place, but Leopold wasn't his choice. He was Mary Margaret's.

She hadn't chosen him, she had chosen their child

She had chosen their family.

Quickly accepting his jacket from the shell shocked maid, he followed Mary Margaret out the door and into the car. She didn't say a word as she pulled out of the driveway and sped down the road. She wasn't heading in the direction of home, he wasn't really sure where she was going. He had a half a mind to remind her of the speed limit in a residential neighborhood, but that didn't seem like a smart idea at the time.

Eventually, she came to a halt for a stop sign. Her eyes were fixated on the road and they had tears burning in them. One by one, they began to fall. David reached over, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him, the tears falling harder.

"I'm sorry," she croaked out.

"Sorry?" David repeated. "Why are you sorry?"

"I shouldn't have asked you to come here tonight, I should've known how he was going to react. I shouldn't have subjected you to…to that."

"Hey, none of that is your fault." He wiped her tears away. "He is an asshole, I knew that going in."

Mary Margaret frowned. "Then why did you come?"

"For you. I know you're strong Mary Margaret, you can handle anything life throws at you. I still wasn't going to let you go through it alone."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "He was wrong about you."

"I know he was."

"And he was wrong about the baby."

"Hell yes he was."

"I don't want him anywhere near him or her."

"So we're agreed on three for three."

Mary Margaret couldn't help but laugh at that, tilting her head back and wiping away her tears. He kept his hand on her arm, slowly rubbing it to soothe her.

"I don't know what I expected," she whispered. "My idea of happiness has never been good enough for him. I've accepted it long ago. Why did I try to get his acceptance on this?"

"Because he's your father and you thought he could be happy about you bringing a life into the world. That's not a silly thought."

"It's a silly thought when your father is Leopold Blanchard."

"No. He's the silly one."

She let out yet another sigh. "You barely got to eat."

"I'm more worried about you. You're eating for two."

"Granny's?"

"Hell yes."

She drove to the diner and the two settled in a back booth, ordering big, greasy burgers and sides of fries. Well, David got the fries, Mary Margaret ordered onion rings and some hot chocolate with cinnamon. It was sort of funny to watch her eating habits change. She had never been a total health nut and would eat chocolate and the like. However, lately it seemed like her sweet tooth had increased. While hot chocolate used to be something she'd order a couple of times a month, it was now a weekly treat at Granny's.

"Do you care if I'm having a boy or girl?" Mary Margaret asked, suddenly.

David tilted his head. "No. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Have you um, had any dreams about it? I heard those are common."

"I've had dreams about the baby, but just random ones. I never know what it is." She dragged her onion ring through ketchup. "What about you?"

"I had just the one…we um, had a boy."

Mary Margaret grinned. "We did? What'd he look like?"

"A mixture of both of us." He could remember it so clearly. "My blue eyes and he was little, probably no older than a few months, but he already had your dark hair. He was a chubby little squish."

"Aww. What were we doing in the dream?"

David paused, unsure of how to answer that question. He couldn't very well admit that he had dreams about the two being intimate, they hadn't even kissed since Valentine's Day. It had all been to conceive their child and the deed was done. There was no need to talk about it.

"We were just playing with him. But then the door opened and I saw…" He stopped, realizing he was still giving away too much.

"What? What'd you see?"

From the look in her eyes, he knew there was no escaping the questioning. "Well, there were these…I guess you would call them bunny slippers? Except they weren't bunnies…anyway, they were coming into our room."

Mary Margaret paused. "So, we had two children in this dream?"

"Right. That's why I didn't want to mention it. It's not like we're going to have more children."

Her smile faltered. "Right. Of course."

Of course they weren't going to have more kids. This was a one and done deal. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to do this again. They were having this one child together and there was the chance that he would go on, meet someone else and have more children with her. They weren't a couple, just like she had told her father.

They were just two best friends having a baby.

Their family only went so far.

* * *

This chapter hurt like a motherfucker. The next one will be lighter, I promise (and hopefully longer). As always, please tell me what you think and what you want to see. =)


	8. Chapter 8

_Since I decided this thing would only be 11 chapters and I already posted 7 here, I figured I'd finish it up. Last thing I'll be putting up on here._

Mary Margaret rubbed her swollen belly as she paced in front of her class, going over the book they were ready. She caught a few staring and smiled a bit. Her pregnancy had spiked a lot of excitement in the classroom, all were excited to find out if it was a boy or a girl. Luckily for them, she'd have news to share the next day.

Both she and David were taking half days so they could go to a special 3D imaging place a half hour away. There was a knock on the door and Jasmine opened it, revealing David on the other side.

"Alright guys, Miss Jasmine is going to take over, please be good." All of the kids shouted their goodbyes and Mary Margaret grabbed her stuff, following David out the door. "Can you believe we get to find out?"

David shook his head. "I just can't believe you're already 18 weeks."

Time had flown by rather quickly. It was already June and school was due to let out in a few days. As usual, Mary Margaret would be heading up summer school, but it'd leave her afternoons free. She hoped to get some baby shopping done during that time, not that there was a large space to work with. David was sleeping in the upstairs room, so it'd have to be set up next to her bed. It'd be worth it, though, to have him there. She'd love to have him sleeping in her bed…

Now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

"Ooo," Mary Margaret winced, holding her stomach as they drove. "They're kicking hard."

"Our little karate master." He gleefully glanced over at her. "We'll need a name after this."

"I already have a name for a girl," she admitted.

"Really? Care to share?"

"I know it's super popular, but how do you feel about Emma?"

David grinned. "Emma. I love it. It also goes with the middle name I had in mind."

"I told you, I don't want to name a kid after me."

"No, I gave up on that. Emma Ruth."

"After tour mom," she squeezed his hand.

"And Robert for a boy's middle name after my dad. Is that okay?"

"It's perfect."

"I just wasn't sure if you wanted to name the baby after your mom?"

"Emma Eva? A bit much there."

"True, plus not sure how well that'd work on a boy," he said with a laugh.

"Dreams aren't always accurate, you know."

David winced as he was reminded of the dream he had about Mary. He had it a few more times since moving in. He never told her about the sexual part, but the truth was, it got him thinking. He loved Mary Margaret and had always told himself it was as a friend. Lately, that all felt like a lie. He was attracted to her, he thought of her constantly. He felt like a lovesick teenager.

He was in love with the mother of his child and in any other circumstance that'd be okay. Except, they had agreed to no strings attached. Mary Margaret was constantly saying how happy she was to be doing this with a friend.

David knew he couldn't rock the boat, especially not with her still pregnant. There was a baby to consider. He couldn't jeopardize getting to be there every day because of his heart. The baby came first.

Soon, he pulled his truck into the parking lot and they got signed in. It wasn't long before they were called into the back, Mary Margaret downing her third bottle of water. She saw David snickering and threw him a look.

"It's so we can see the baby!"

"I know, I know, it's just funny watching you chug so much."

She rolled her eyes and looked over at the technician. "I'm 18 weeks, you should be able to tell, right?"

"As long as all goes well, we should be able to get a good look," she replied.

The technician started, squirting the gel on Mary Margaret's stomach and moving the wand around it. A chill ran down her spine and she clung to David's hand. A few moments later, the baby was on the screen. Tears sprung to Mary Margaret's eyes, as they often did when she got to see her baby. This time was a little different. In 3D, the baby was more lifelike and in sepia, rather than black and white. Every time, they got a little bit bigger, with more things growing.

"Well, the baby is about 5 inches long and 9 ounces, a little on the small side, but that's okay," the technician explained. "They have some time to grow."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just keep up with a healthy diet and talk to your doctor if things don't improve. Really, it's nothing to be concerned about right now. I've seen ultrasounds like this at this point and then the baby is 10 pounds at birth."

Mary Margaret made a face. "Well, I certainly hope they're not that big."

The technician chuckled and wrote a few more things down, getting some pictures. "So, you two sure you want to know?"

David looked down at Mary Margaret, who nodded. "Yeah," he said. "We do."

"Well, it looks like the little one is showing off quite a bit." She zoomed in for safety and then turned to the two of them. "Congratulations, it's a girl."

Mary Margaret's mouth dropped open and she wasn't sure why she was so surprised. She really hadn't had a guess either way, David was the one who kept insisting it'd be a boy. Even so, she was having a little girl, a baby girl. She had been scared about becoming a mother, she never had one herself. Now, she'd be getting the chance her own mother was robbed of, a chance to raise her baby girl. A small smile went across her face and she reached out, touching the screen.

"Hey there, Emma," she whispered.

David had a few tears falling down his face. "A girl…we're having a baby girl."

"Are you okay with that?" Mary Margaret didn't look up from the screen.

"More than okay. I assumed it was a boy, but I think that was just because of my dream and the fact that I come from so many boys. My father had two brothers, I had a twin. Even so…a baby girl."

Mary Margaret finally gazed up into his eyes. "Our baby girl."

He nodded, smiling as he kissed her forehead. In just a few months-time, they'd be parents to Emma Ruth Nolan.

Mary Margaret and David decided to go to the diner to celebrate the news. They were immediately ambushed by Ruby, who was practically jumping out of her skin to find out the news.

"Well? Did you find out?"

"Gosh, ya know, we went all the way there and just forgot to ask," David teased.

Ruby rolled her eyes, looking at her best friend. "Mare, come on."

"It's a girl!"

Ruby squealed and hugged her tightly, before doing the same to David. "I knew it! Ming is going to have a little gal friend to play with, Alex too!"

"Who knows, maybe they'll even date one day."

"Nuh uh," David interjected. "She's not dating, ever. Boy or girl, she's going to be our baby forever."

Ruby chuckled. "I knew you'd be an overprotective daddy. With all this good news, dinner's on me."

"You don't have to do that, Rubes."

"I want to. Anything you want, on the house."

The two headed towards their usual booth and Mary Margaret felt like someone was staring at her. She turned to look and found Kathryn sitting at a booth by herself, which made her chew on her lower lip. While she and David hadn't told his ex themselves about the baby, word had obviously gotten around. They ran in similar circles and it was a small town, plus Jim worked at the school. Kathryn would have to be an idiot to not know about what was going on. Mary Margaret hadn't expected a congratulations from her, but the staring still felt a bit off.

They settled down to order and then David headed to the bathroom. Mary Margaret could still feel Kathryn's eyes on her and wasn't sure if it was the hormones or what, but she was done. She got up and stormed over.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

Kathryn's mouth formed a thin line. "I don't know what you mean?"

"You've been staring at me since I walked in. I know I'm getting fat, but you're a nurse. It shouldn't be anything new for you."

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I'm just not surprised that this is happening. I saw this from a mile away, even back when I was married to David."

"You saw us co-parenting?"

Kathryn snorted. "Please. You two don't have to pretend for me. I'm with Jim now, I'm happy. If you two are settling down, it's none of my business."

"We're not together, not like that. For the millionth time, we're just friends!"

"You and David haven't been just friends, ever."

"We never did anything when you two were married."

"Oh, I believe that." Kathryn shook her head. "What I don't believe is that you two don't have any feelings for each other whatsoever, romantically. The whole town can see how you look at one another." She threw down some money onto the table and rose to her feet. "Just hope you can get your shit together before the baby's born."

Mary Margaret watched her walk out of the diner, awestruck. She wanted to chase after her and yell at her for making such accusations, but she couldn't. She knew that Kathryn was right to an extent, at least on Mary Margaret's end. She had feelings for David for the longest time. She just knew that he wouldn't feel the same way.

What David didn't know was that Mary Margaret had heard the voicemail he got from Cristina. He had been listening to it when she came home from work one night and assumed it ended before she got in the room, but she lied. Cristina still wanted him to go to New York, to take that job. She even mentioned something about them being together. David never mentioned it, but she was waiting for the day he would. The day he would talk about splitting time with Emma and seeing her a few times a month.

She wanted to give him a benefit of the doubt, but the more it went undiscussed, the more she worried. So, yes, maybe Kathryn was right. She had feelings for David Nolan…but nothing could ever come of it.

"You okay?" David's voice came from behind her. She turned around, folding her arms over her chest and he frowned. "Did Kathryn say something?"

"She thinks we're in love, that we're just too stupid to see it."

"Oh." He frowned. "Why would she tell you that?"

"Hell if I know. Look, I'm starving, I'll go order for us. Want your usual?"

David nodded and she walked away. A sinking feeling fell into the pit of his stomach, reflecting on the words that his ex-wife had told him at their last hearing. He had avoided her for the most part since that day, but maybe it was time to talk to her.

The next morning before his shift, he made his way to Kathryn and Jim's. The latter was already at work and Kathryn had the day off, she had agreed to meet him with him briefly without even hearing what he wanted. Wordlessly, she made some tea (Earl Gray, his favorite) and they settled down at the table.

"I'm assuming your girlfriend told you what I said last night," she said.

David sighed. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Not yet, anyway."

"How…how were you able to tell that I had feelings for her?"

Kathryn was quiet for a moment, clearly losing herself in thought. Finally, she broke out of it and smiled a little. "You went to her after James died."

"Huh?"

"She was the first person you called. I was your fiancé and you went to her first."

"Oh." Regret filled his stomach. "Kathryn, I…"

"I get it. Look, David, I am really sorry that I hurt you. I was wrong to have an affair, rather than to just admit defeat and walk away. You weren't a bad husband, quite the opposite. I know you loved me, just not in the way I needed. And I was too stubborn to say anything, mostly because I knew you'd deny it." She shrugged. "You know, at the end of the day, I realized that I could write novels about you, but you'd never be able to fill a pamphlet about me."

David frowned. "Kathy…"

"And that's okay, because we weren't meant to be."

"Still… I didn't see it at the time. If I did, I wouldn't have…I mean…"

"I get it. Again, I didn't handle it the best either. At the end of the day, I did a cowardly thing."

"It ended for the best, though. You're happy with Jim…you are happy, aren't you?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, very happy."

"Good, good. So am I."

"Congratulations on the baby, I know it's what you always wanted."

"Thanks. It's…it's a girl."

"You with a little girl, huh?" She paused for a moment. "I can see that, you'll be an amazing daddy."

He chuckled a little and it felt good to be laughing with Kathryn again. "Thanks for letting me come over. I…I'd like to work on us being friends. We were good friends at one point, weren't we?"

"We were. A lot better than husband and wife."

"It's a deal then." David checked his watch and then downed his tea. "I better get going, I have to relieve Graham from his shift."

He rose from his seat and headed for the door.

"David?" He turned back to face her. She suddenly looked serious again. "So, don't wait too long, okay?"

David raised an eyebrow. "To what?"

She tilted her head, smiling sympathetically, as if she thought he was the most clueless man on Earth. "To tell her."


	9. Chapter 9

David busied around the kitchen, getting things ready. He wasn't much of a cook, he never had been, but he was doing his best that night. It was nothing fancy, just some pasta and garlic bread, but it'd have to work. Suddenly, he began doubting the garlic bread, would she want to kiss him with the garlic taste in his mouth? He quickly shook that off and went to chilling the sparking cider-champagne would be more festive, but she was pregnant and it'd have to do.

Tonight was the night that he was going to tell Mary Margaret how he felt and things had to be absolutely perfect.

Kathryn's words had resonated with him and he had barely been able to keep it out of his head all day. He had waited so long to even accept his feelings, let alone tell her. He loved Mary Margaret Blanchard, he was _in love_ with Mary Margaret Blanchard. He wanted the whole world to know it, but for now…she'd be a good start.

The door opened and he rushed over, taking her in. She was wearing her standard outfit, a floral dress and a pink cardigan. Her hand was settled over her swollen baby bump, a box of stuff under her other arm. It was the last day of school, her summer classes didn't start for another couple of weeks.

"Hi," he breathed. How had it taken him so long to realize just how beautiful she was.

"Hi?" Her voice sounded confused. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

She sniffed the air. "You cooked."

"Just pasta."

"Food is food."

He took the box from her and set it on the ground. "I just thought it'd be nice. You normally do the cooking."

"Because you can't cook."

He frowned at her tone, she sounded…annoyed. "It's just pasta and garlic bread. Boiling water and preheating the oven. Not that hard."

"Okay."

This wasn't how he wanted things to go. "Here." He held out the champagne flute. "It's sparkling cider, don't worry."

Hesitantly, she accepted and took a sip. "Look, David, if you want to tell me, just come out and say it. You didn't have to cook a whole dinner to break the news."

His frown increased. Had she found out somehow? Did Kathryn tell her? From the tone of her voice, she didn't seem very happy about it. Panic filled his stomach, did she not feel the same?

"Break the news?"

"Look, garlic bread and pasta isn't going to change a thing. If you have something to say, just come out and say it."

"It doesn't sound like you want me to."

"Well, of course I don't! This is the last thing I wanted to happen!" 

He felt as if he had been slapped. It was one thing for her not to return his feelings, but for her to put it like that? He knew she was pregnant, that had made her a bit more honest than she was before, but to be so harsh? He thought they were best friends.

"Wow, I knew this was a long shot, but I didn't think you'd feel that way!"

"What other way do you want me to feel?!" Mary Margaret threw her purse up on the coat tree. "You're abandoning me! Abandoning our child!"

David was experiencing whiplash. He had gone from happy to confused to hurt and straight back to confused in just a few minutes time. "Abandoning our child? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I heard you listening to Cruella's voicemail! She wants you to take that job in New York, it's your dream job, one of a lifetime." She frowned. "Not to mention that I'm sure it's a dream to finally have her wanting you."

David faltered, unsure of how to respond. He had set up this dinner to profess his love and she thought…it was to tell her that he was moving to New York, that he was choosing someone else. He knew he should've told her about Cristina's proposition, he just didn't see the point. He wasn't going to go, there was no way that he was going to abandon her and Emma.

"The thing is, I get it," she continued, hurt filling her voice. "This is your dream. Being a sheriff here, it's great, but to be detective in a big city…I'm sure it's better. I know you'll still see Emma, that you won't completely abandon her, this just isn't how I saw this. I…I actually pictured us raising her together, being a happy family. I thought maybe one day you'd love…it doesn't matter." She shook her head. "All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, David. So, if this is what's going to make you happy, then go do it."

With that, she turned on her heel and headed straight towards her bed. When she got there, she found a listing printed out with the local realtor's logo on it. Slowly, she picked it up, raising an eyebrow. The floorboards creaked behind her and soon she could smell David's cologne.

"This is the old Haralson property," she whispered, turning around.

David nodded. "It's seen better days, but I figured I could fix it up."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because being a sheriff…it isn't my dream. Look, Mary Margaret, I grew up in an abusive household. George hurt my mom, he hurt me and my brother. I became a cop to protect people and it was great, but the truth is…it's a dangerous profession. I commend those that do it and have families, because I know they're risking their lives. It's just not something I want to do."

"I don't understand."

"I miss having a farm, I miss helping my mom put together wares to sell. After she died, I did it all because James and George had no interest in it. There's a real need for this in Storybrooke, Regina was telling me how bad the economy is getting since we have to rely on outside sources. I feel like this could really help it. Plus, I would be home and could look after Emma, so she wouldn't have to go daycare."

Slowly, it all began to dawn on Mary Margaret. David wasn't leaving her…quite the opposite. He had a plan, he had dreams.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Cristina's offer. I didn't think it mattered, because I'd never dream of leaving our baby or you." He sighed. "The truth is, Mary Margaret, I love you. I'm in love with you. I think I've been in love with you since the moment you accidentally gave me a bloody nose." He smiled when she softly laughed at the memory, though he saw tears in her eyes. "You will always be my best friend, but I don't want us to just be best friends. I want us to be partners, to share a life together. I want us to be that dorky couple that Emma gets embarrassed by because her parents are so totally in love, yet she wants to find a love like ours someday."

Mary Margaret's lips trembled as she looked from the listing to back up at her husband. His eyes were looking at her as if she was everything he ever wanted and more. She realized that he was the only person to ever look at her with such devotion, with such love.

"I…I didn't think you felt the same way," she said. "I thought you were going to leave me."

"I'd never leave you."

"Oh."

There was a beat and suddenly, her arms were thrown around his neck. Their lips connected as they kissed for the first time since they conceived. This time it wasn't awkward or weird, it was just…love. He deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around her bump. She pulled away from him a bit, though her hands were clutched to his flannel shirt.

"You making dinner is a really romantic way to tell you that you love me and I sort of fucked it up."

He laughed. "It's okay. I have the rest of our lives to give you romantic meals."

"Yeah…so does that mean that this one can wait?"

He saw the twinkle in her eyes and grinned. He watched as she undressed, taking her in. The pregnancy had emphasized her beauty, her stomach wasn't the only thing that had swollen up. Her breast size had gone up and her butt had gotten a little more fluff to it. She was curvier, though it didn't mean she was sexier, she had already been the sexiest woman he ever knew.

"God, I love you," he mumbled.

"I love you too."

It was the first time she had said it out loud and it felt so sweet to his ears.

He undressed himself and they laid on the bed together, his lips caressing every part of her body, each stretch mark and blemish. To him, they were all beautiful. Her hands moved down him and stroked his member, laughing when the slightest touch made him moan a bit. She continued playing with it, stroking and moving her foot up to nudge it a little.

"Ahhh," he let out, biting down on his lower lip.

"Tell me what you want, Charming," she whispered seductively.

"I want to feel the inside of you."

"Then what are you waiting for?" 

He smirked and he climbed on top of her. He was inside of her and she clenched back on the sheets, it was like two pieces of a puzzle coming together. He laid a kiss to her cheek and their eyes locked, love radiating to each other.

"Oh, oh…" She moaned.

"I love making you wet."

"I could say the same for you...fuck!"

It didn't take long for her to orgasm and the scream filled the tiny loft. Once he had come, David collapsed next to her, panting a bit.

"Now that was a lot better than dinner," he mused.

Mary Margaret grinned. "I'd agree, but…I'm hungry."

David laughed. "I'll go heat up our food."

He got up and headed for the kitchen, allowing Mary Margaret a good shot of his ass. Damn, he was so hot, and he was finally all hers.

She felt like the luckiest woman alive.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few months seemed to fly by in a blink of an eye. Mary Margaret's stomach continued to expand and the loft seemed to get smaller by the day. However, David was working hard on making sure that they'd have a new home before the baby came or shortly thereafter. He had hired Leroy Jenkins to be the contractor on the project and helped out whenever he could, though he also spent a lot of his free time searching the best places for animals and making sure that they'd arrive by the time Mary Margaret would be off maternity leave. He had already made sure that Regina could find a replacement for him in time and felt that Graham would be suitable for the job.

Mary Margaret spent the summer searching for the perfect furniture to fill their new home. While she had been able to sneak in some of her own pieces in the loft she rented, most of its own furniture came along with it and she had never been a fan, so it was time to really get into it. She and David had decided on a lot of soft blues and whites. George and Leopold had kept their childhood homes dark, sterile. They didn't want that for their family, they wanted it to feel warm and inviting. For Emma's nursery, she had decided to go with a swan theme. Ever since she got pregnant, she just felt a calling to them, like it was meant to be. It'd be simple, with grey walls and all white furniture. She had picked up a plush swan rocking horse for when her daughter got a little older. Belle had helped her build the perfect library, filled with books for all ages.

They had Mary Margaret's baby shower in August and all of their friends attended. Neither of them had any biological family anymore, but they didn't lack for a family period. Their friends helped them stock up for their daughter and were clearly so happy for her arrival. Even Kathryn and Jim came (the former sporting a baby bump of her own), with a swan mobile as their present. Regina was kind enough to help them store everything until their new home was ready to move into.

Before they knew it, leaves were falling off the trees and a familiar chill had come over Storybrooke. It was October again and it was hard for David to believe that it had been over a year since they had begun the process of becoming parents. Emma was due to be born in 5 weeks and it felt like the pregnancy had gone by so fast. The box for her bassinet was in the corner, since they knew the house wouldn't be ready until the first week of December. Before David left for work that morning, he had promised Mary Margaret that he'd get it done by Halloween, which was still 8 days away.

Mary Margaret walked around the loft, trying to keep herself busy. It was a Saturday, which meant no work and all of her friends were busy. She was going through her nesting phase, where everything had to be just so. As she folded up some more onesies she got, she felt a stab of pain and frowned. That morning, she had woken up feeling weird, but brushed it off to Braxton Hicks, her doctor said she'd start feeling those. However, they were starting to get worse. Slowly, Mary Margaret rubbed her stomach.

"What's going on in there, hmm? You doing okay?"

There was another sharp stab and she lowered herself down in a chair, rubbing her stomach. It kept up for a few more minutes, with Mary Margaret moaning in pain until finally it subsided. After it passed, she realized that she was wet, which made her frown. Pregnancy had screwed up her bladder, but normally she had at least a feeling that it was coming. She managed to work her underwear down and then realized something.

That wasn't pee.

She knew that water breaking wasn't like in the movies, with a huge gush of water or anything, but she hadn't expected it to be so subtle either. She noticed that she had also lost her mucus plug, which only meant one thing.

She was in labor, 5 weeks too early. Instantly, panicked settled in. At her last appointment, the baby had been 4 pounds. That was far too small. There was no way that she could be going into labor so early!

Trying to collect herself, she grabbed the phone and quickly dialed David. He picked up on the fourth ring, which didn't help her anxiety.

"Miss me already?" He asked with a chuckle.

"David," she panted, her voice filled with fear. "My water broke and I…I lost my mucus plug."

"But it's…it's too early."

"I don't think she cares about that. Please, come home, we need to get to the hospital."

"I'm on my way."

David had gotten back to the loft in 5 minutes, a scary thought considering the station was 10 minutes away on a day with no traffic. Mary Margaret didn't have time to think about that though. David's eyes went to the bassinet in the corner, why had he insisted on waiting so long to set it up? They didn't even have a hospital bag packed or anything.

They drove to the hospital in no time, calling Mary Margaret's doctor along the way. While she was being examined, David stepped out of the room to phone Gold.

"Mary Margaret's in labor."

"But she's only 35 weeks."

"I know." David frowned. "We didn't have anything ready, we rushed here with just her purse. Would it be possible for you guys to go and get a bag ready for her?"

"Of course, of course." Gold paused for a moment. "It's going to be okay."

"It's too early. I'm trying to be brave for Mary Margaret, but I'm scared."

"Gideon was born 8 weeks early and look at him now," he pointed out. "Healthy as can be. Emma's going to be fine."

David took a deep breath. "I sure hope you're right."

"Keep us updated and we'll bring the bag once the baby is born."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Just keep breathing. Emma is Mary Margaret's child, she's a fighter, she'll be fine."

"I know." He sighed. "I know."

David hung up and headed back into the room, finding Mary Margaret looking panicked.

"I'm 8 centimeters dilated."

"What?!"

"Those Braxton Hicks I thought I was having all morning…they were the real deal."

"Oh my God." He looked over at the doctor. "Will the baby be okay?"

"As of right now, she looks to be in upper 4 pound range. We'll have to monitor her once she's born, but we'll see. I'll be back in a half hour to check on you."

Tears fell down Mary Margaret's face. "David, this is all my fault."

"Hey." He lowered himself onto the bed. "No, it's not."

"If I had figured it out sooner, maybe they could've stopped it…if I ate better, maybe she'd be bigger…"

"You are the healthiest eater I know. You took your vitamins, none of this is your fault." He squeezed her hand. "It's going to be okay, our daughter is going to be just fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're her mother. You are the toughest person I know." He pecked her lips. "She's a fighter. In 13 years, she'll be scaring the shit out of us, in 16 we'll be arguing over when she's old enough to date-which isn't until she's 50 by the way…"

Mary Margaret couldn't help but smile at that. "I think 16's a good age."

David playfully rolled his eyes. "We're going to watch her graduate high school, go on and get an amazing career, eventually fall madly in love and start a family of her own or maybe she'll adopt a bunch of cats. Either way, we are going to get to see her grow up. Our daughter is too tough to let some stupid odds get in her way."

Slowly, his girlfriend nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

"What else am I here for?" His lips brushed against her forehead. "Now come on, let's get ready to meet our little girl."

It only took another hour for Mary Margaret to reach 10 centimeters. She clung to David's hand, sweat pouring down her face as she pushed. She was in so much pain, yet that couldn't even be her main focus. She wanted her baby girl to be born happy and healthy. Her mind drifted to her mother for a moment, who had often spoke of Mary Margaret's own birth. Eva had gone into labor unexpectedly during one of the worst snowstorms that the East coast had ever seen. The roads were closed and there was not enough time for her to get to the hospital. Eva said it was the scariest moment of her life, but thinking about her daughter's bright future had kept her through it. Mary Margaret knew she had to do the same and unlike her mother, she'd be there to watch her baby girl grow up.

"One last push, Snow!" The doctor called out.

Mary Margaret dug her fingernails into David's palm as she let out another scream, pushing as hard as she could. She felt a moment of relief, knowing the baby was out. Yet, there was suddenly silence. Mary Margaret held her breath, knowing that wasn't a good thing.

 _Cry, sweet girl, cry._ She thought to herself, as if she could will the baby into doing it.

After what felt like an eternity, finally cries filled the delivery room. David and Mary Margaret let out simultaneous sighs of relief and soon, the baby was being placed on Mary Margaret's chest. She looked down at her, tears pouring down her face.

Mary Margaret had held plenty of babies in her lifetime, but none that were as tiny as her daughter. Emma squirmed on her chest, covered in gunk and all that, but Mary Margaret still thought she was the sweetest thing in the world. An overwhelming sensation of love filled her heart as she looked into her eyes. This was her baby, her daughter. The child she had fought so hard to conceive and waited on, prayed for. Finally, she was here and it wasn't what Mary Margaret had imagined, it was more.

"Oh my God." Tears fell down Mary Margaret's face. "She's perfect."

"She's an angel," David whispered.

His finger stroked his daughter's tiny cheek and he felt tears fall down his own. He was a father, a father to the most precious baby girl there ever was. His heart was swelling up with love and protection, he would never let a single bad thing happen to this tiny being, who now depended on him for everything in life. This beautiful baby girl would depend on him, look up to him. If she preferred men, he would hopefully be the role model that she looked at. He had dreams for them, daddy/daughter dates, sneaking ice cream and having serious talks about the future. All his life, he had dreamt of having a son, but now he had his daughter and he wouldn't trade her for the world.

David kissed Mary Margaret's forehead. "Thank you for her," he said, softly.

"No, thank you. I couldn't have done any of this without you."

Eventually, a nurse came and took Emma to clean her up. The new parents were left feeling suddenly empty and nervous, not wanting her out of their sight. They were briefly distracted by her delivering the afterbirth, but then they were back to waiting for her to be returned to them. Emma was cleaned up and weighed, before being wrapped up in a blanket and walked back over.

"Well, I'd say you have a miracle baby here," the nurse said. "She's 4 pounds, 10 ounces and seems to be breathing fine on her own. As long as things stay this fine, I don't think she'll need any NICU time."

Both let out another simultaneous sigh of relief and the nurse gave the baby to David to hold for the first time. He carefully held her, clearly scared.

"You're not going to drop her," Mary Margaret assured him.

"What if I break her? She's so tiny, I've never held a baby so tiny before."

"You're fine," she assured him. "Look at her, she's not crying, she's completely happy in her daddy's arms."

"Daddy," he repeated. "I'm a daddy. I…I still can't believe this is real."

"I know. We've been talking about this for over a year and finally…well…here she is."

"She's amazing." He sat back down next to her and his eyes returned to his daughter. "She's definitely an Emma."

"Emma Ruth Nolan," Mary Margaret agreed. "Her name means whole…and that's what I feel right now."

"So do I."

Soon, Mary Margaret and Emma were moved to a new room where they'd stay for the next few days for observation. They had plenty of visitors, the first being Gold and Belle. They had swung by the store and got Emma a few preemie outfits since they doubted she'd be able to fit into her newborn right away. Kathryn and Jim came not long after, with news that they were having twins, a boy and a girl. Ruby and Dorothy followed Ashley and Thomas. One person they hadn't been expecting…Granny. She didn't come until long after everyone else had and smiled at the two as soon as she entered the room.

"She looks like the two of you," she mused.

"All newborns look the same," David said.

Granny shook her head. "Well, she looks like the both of you. Anyway, I came here to bring you two a gift."

"Granny, you already got us all those clothes," Mary Margaret protested.

"Oh hush, this is something I do for all the babies."

David took Emma from Mary Margaret so she could open the present. She gasped at what she found inside, a beautifully woven baby blanket. Most of it was white, but it was trimmed in royal purple ribbon. "Emma" had also been stitched in the corner, in the same color as the ribbon.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"Every child needs a proper baby blanket."

"Granny, thank you so much." She leaned up as much as she could without feeling any pain to give her a hug. "I have a feeling that Emma is going to love this when she's older."

Granny nodded, taking in the picture before her. "You two fit," she said, finally. "You flow well together. I'm just glad you stopped being idiots in time for the baby to be born."

Mary Margaret and David laughed, supposing she was right. Soon, Granny was gone and it was just the two of them again. Emma began fussing in her father's arms and Mary Margaret held out her own to take her, knowing she was ready to eat.

"I don't think she'll have a problem gaining that weight," she said. "She's always hungry."

David smiled, sitting back down beside her. "A chip off the old block."


	11. Epilogue

David's eyes flickered open and he felt very hard. There was a sensation on his penis and he realized just what it was…Mary Margaret. A smile fell across his lips and he let out a tiny moan. He could see her head peeking out from under the covers, concentrated on her work. He gripped onto the pillow and felt her tiny kisses mixed in with the sucking. He didn't want to reach the climax, not yet, he wanted to savor each and every moment. However, his body overrode his heart and he soon came, panting heavily.

"That's certainly one way to wake up," he mumbled.

Mary Margaret shrugged and cuddled up against his chest. "I woke up and was bored."

"We have a newborn, how could you possibly be bored?"

"He's out like a light."

David looked down at her, taking in every feature. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that came through the curtains. They matched the ring on her left hand, the very same ring his father had given to his mother. Her cheeks were flushed from her previous activity. Due to breast feeding, she was wearing a loose nightgown. There was evidence of the long nights in the bags under her eyes and her hair hadn't been washed in a couple of days. It didn't matter, though. She was beautiful, every inch of her.

Suddenly, he became aware of the bassinet just a few feet away from the bed. Reaching over, he peered down inside. A chubby newborn laid there, wailing and wiggling about. He reached inside, taking him into his arms and kissing his forehead.

"So much for sleep," he muttered.

"Hey, he's been asleep since 2 and it's…." Mary Margaret trailed off and she glanced over at their alarm clock. "7."

"Much better than…"

Before he could finish the sentence, there were light footsteps outside the door. It was slowly pushed open and all he saw were fluffy swan slippers. A moment later, his nearly 3 year old daughter was jumping on the bed and into her mother's arms.

"Speak of the cute little devil," Mary Margaret said, tickling her sides, causing Emma to giggle.

"Can I hold Nee?" She asked.

"Of course."

It had been almost 3 years since Emma was born and so much had changed. Two months after her birth, they were able to move onto the farm and by the new year, David had quit his job as sheriff to be a stay-at-home dad/farmer. Mary Margaret returned to teaching by the spring and they were incredibly happy, marrying the following Christmas.

They were both there for it all: Emma's first steps, first words. It was clear she was a wild child, inheriting her parents' spirit and love for constantly being active. She was always on the move, only seeming to calm down when she was rocked and sung her favorite lullabies. She loved "helping" on the farm, which mostly consisted of her just playing with animals. They were happy, overjoyed.

Then about a month before her second birthday, Mary Margaret suggested that they try again. David had no objections and just 2 months later, they found themselves pregnant. Neal Robert Nolan was born 8 and a half months later, 2 weeks after his due date-quite the contrast from his big sister. Emma had been hesitant about becoming one at first, but now she adored Neal and was very protective of him.

Leopold and George had stayed out of their lives for the most part. David had a scary run in with George during Mary Margaret's pregnancy with Neal, but for the most part, he kept his distance. Leopold knew of the wedding and both grandchildren, but he had no interest in being there for them. It hurt Mary Margaret in the beginning, to think that her father would want nothing to do with the beautiful babies she had brought into the world, but in the end chalked it up to his loss. After all, it wasn't as if their kids lacked for family.

Regina was like the aunt that the kids would never have, Henry being incredibly close to both kids. Emma's best friends were Alexandra, Ming, Gideon, Vivienne and Isaac-the latter two being Abigail and Jim's twins. They were all pretty much like cousins, chasing each other around whenever they got the chance. It was good to know that Emma would have built-in friends for when she got older, it looked like Neal would too. Mal was close to giving birth to her and Regina's first child together, though both had adopted Henry and Lily. Ashley and Thomas had also announced their own pregnancy, as had Belle and Kenneth. Their not-so little family seemed to get bigger by the moment.

After 15 minutes of cuddling, Neal began fussing in Emma's arms, clearly hungry for some breakfast. As Mary Margaret fed her son, David lead Emma downstairs to make her some pancakes.

"I like when Mommy's home," Emma admitted after she had added their super-secret ingredient (nutmeg) to the mix.

"I do too," he said with a wink.

She'd be home until after the new year, which both Mary Margaret and David were extremely grateful for. It meant that she could help out with the farm, which turned out to be extremely lucrative. They weren't filthy rich by any means, it wasn't like Mary Margaret's childhood, but it also wasn't like David's before George came into the picture either. They were happy, they could comfortably provide for their children and that's what mattered.

Mary Margaret eventually came downstairs by the time Emma was settled in her booster seat and David had set the table. She settled Neal down into his swing and walked closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I love you, ya know that?"

"I love you too," he said with a grin. "Emma and I were just talking about how much we love having you home."

"It is good to get to spend time with my favorite people." She let out a content sigh. "Did you ever see our lives turning out this way?"

"Nah. But I'm so glad they did."

"Me too."

The two kissed until Emma protested from the table, "Gross!" They pulled apart laughing, walking back over to enjoy breakfast with their family.

Over the years, David and Mary Margaret would go onto have four more children: two more girls and two more boys, having the big family that they always dreamed of. Even when the kids got older, they still had family game night once a week, where more often than not, Mary Margaret would select Scrabble. David would always remind the kids of the time that Mary Margaret actually forfeited a game, just so she could ask him to have a baby. She'd always roll her eyes and act annoyed, but deep down, they both knew the truth.

That night had been the start of everything. The start of their family, the start of falling in love.

Besides, Mary Margaret never lost another game…until Neal turned 15 and became just as competitive as his mother. That would just lead to David and Emma leaning back, watching them both play in amusement.

Notes:


End file.
